Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-05-31

and 1t Is from this sweet juice that palm
vine-Or, Us IL Il sometimes called.
''toddy"-is prepared. At loast two
methods Of obtaining this sap appear
10 DO generally employed, says Chamb-
ers' Journal. In the islsnds Of the Pa-
cifio the spathe or towering head Of the
palm tree Is bound up tightly with SON
nit, and IL then cut. The sap exudea
from the wound, and Is caughtin o cocoon
nut she'll suspended underneath. When
the Juice cooses to drop, another pieco
10 cut OF tho spathe, fresh quantity OF
sap Is obtained, and the process Is no
peated until tho spathe Is entirely re-
moved. Soon, however, new Towering
head b formed above tho old ono, and
this, when sufficiently grown, 10 treated
in exactly tho same manner.
On the west coast Of Africa the sap 10
obtained by making an incisiou Just be-
low the crown Of leaves with which o
palm tree Is surmounted. The incision
slopes upwards and inwards, and she
Juice which oxudes Is conducted by q
small piece Of bamboo into o gourd or
vessel placed underneath the wound.
The sugar which the sap contains is
exactly tho same kind % i yielded by
the sugar-cane. In some countries.
therefore, the palm JUDGE 10 boiled down
after proper treatment, and furnishes .
sugar which, when refined. can not be
distinguished from the best produce Of
the West India Islands. In other Ooun-
tries the sap Is allowed to ferment
spontaneously--s change which occurs
very quickly IN hotCountzies-the sugar
Is thereby converted into alcohol, and
the liquid acquires Intoxicating proper
ties.
As might DO expected, the juice Of the
palm-tree varies both In quality and
with tho species Of palm from
which it Is extracted. The place OF
growth also appears to exert consider
able influence upon the readiness with
which the sap fcrments. Hence 1t Is
that different varieties Of palms arc en-
ployed In different parts of the world
for tho preparation of vino or toddy.
On tho Western coast Of Africa, for ex-
ample, the beverage Is obtained from
the oil-palms, species which are said
10 yield wine Of the best quality. The
tree is tapped In the evening; and IN the
morning the gourd which receives tho
sap Is found filed with Q liquid some
what resembling the milk Of . cocoa
not, but richer and sweeter. The juice
soon ferments and becomes intoxicating,
but the percentage Of alcohol which 1t
contains Is comparatively small.
In the fertile oases with which the
Sahara and the other deserts Of North
ern Africa are dotted, large groves OF
date-palns arc to be seen, from which
the Arabs and other wandering tribes
of the desert obtain On Intoxicating beV-
ernge which they call 10mA When
drank Immediately tho sap Of this palm
resembles rich milk; but when allowed
to stand for q time 1t ferments and &c
ouires the flavor and sparkling qualities
OF champagne.
Tho use of wine is strictly prohibited
by the Koran, but the Intoxicated
Mohammedan excuses his apparent dis
regard Of tho injunctions OF tho Prophet
by saying: ''Lagmi is not wine, and the
prohibition Of tho Koran refers to wine."
Tho same species Of palm-trec is very
abundant In tho billy Indian province
of Bahar. Here the annual tapping for
toddy is rnadc on alternate sides OF the
tree, and In this way the trunks become
curiously distorted, growing upwards IN
O ziezag direction. In other parts OF
India the beautiful fan-palm and the
toddy-palm are the varieties chiefly en-
ployod in the manufacture Of the vino.
The toddy-palIn will frequently yield
more than one hundred pints OF sap In
tho course Of twenty-four bours-
In Ceylon, whole forests Of the cocoa
palm are sot apart for the preparations
Of fermcnted liquor; while in the islands
of tho Indian Archipelago, tho Moluccas
and the Philippines, 1t Is tho sap OF the
gommutti-palm which Is allowed to fer
mont and furnish on exhilaratanR bev-
eraCe known ns RoCd. The natives Of
the beautiful islands OF the Pacific OBJ
tain their teddy or kGrGcG by wounding
the Towering head Of tho cocoanut tree;
and each trco yields from two to six
pints Of liquid in twenty-four hours
Whom drank immediately, 1t closely re-
semblcs tho milk OF the young cocoa
nut; but when allowed to stand for
few hours, Il fornonts, acquires tntox-
icsting properties, and becomes acid.
Nearly everywhere in Africa Ond In
many parts Of ACia tho fermcnted sap Is
subjected TO distillation, and thus yields
strong brandy or spirit which, ilko
palm-wine itself, has received different
names according 10 the district in which
Il Is produced, or tho variety Of palm
from which the vino has been procured
A FLORIDA Garao Cook