The "ANATHBANDHU. Wol. . No. 10. A New Industry. T is not unoften that we are slow to recognise w the economic importance of articles which are easily available and of which an abundant supply can be ensured. Everything has its value and has only to be utilised properly to yield a return. Mohua. Reciew Dr. McPhail wrote an interesting paper Such is the case with the In a recent number of the Calcutta on Indian trees. Of the Mohua tree he wrote“In many regions of North and Central India the tree that is most highly valued by the people as a source of food, and which forms the most valuable economic asset of the jungles is one for which there is no English name.' It is the Mohua. “Throughout many parts of Chota Nagpur and Bihar the formation of the buds of this wild tree is watched as eagerly by the poor as the advance of the monsoon is awaited a few months later by the more prosperous cultivator who relies mainly upon the rice fields for his supply of food.' The flowers of the tree are eaten raw or cooked. After having been dried in the sun they resemble raisins in appearance and make a convenient form of food to use in travelling. “The Sontal or Bhil setting out on a hunting expedition will tie a few handfuls of Mohua flowers in the corner of his cloth, and that will serve as his food supply for several days.' The flowers are often used in the form of sweetmeats and are invaluable for feeding cattle; for, in the hot weather when grass is scalty the flower of the Mohua is found useful in increasing the supply of milk, “ Tho Mlolhua flowers are also the main source of the supply of distilled liquor or 'daru in many places where the trees are found. The dried flowers are immersed in water for four days, and then fermented and distilled. The spirit obtained in this way is said to resemble good Irish whisky except that it has a strong smoky odour. Some years ago an Italian in Monghyr patented a process for getting rid of the essential oil or whatever else it is that gives rise to this odour. A specimen of the spirit thus purified was submitted to the Chemical Examiner in Calcutta who reported that it was very similar to good foreign brandy. A new industry seemed to be in prospect, a brisk demand for the spirit having been created. But the rum distillers in Calcutta petitioned the Board of Revenue and a prohibitive duty was imposed which ruined the trade. It transpired a good many years ago thať Mohua spirit was being used as an adulterant of brandy, and on this ground its importation into France was forbidden.' As it is Dr. McPhail's calculation is that the value of the Mohua to the people must be at least Rs. 35,00,000 per annum, so the trees, at fifteen years' purchase, may be said to represent a capital worth three and a half million pounds sterling. And Dr. McPhail regrets that almost nothing is done to preserve this valuable tree-the landlord in need of ready cash selling it in order to get an immediate gain. But this is not all. Recent experiments in Hyderabad prove the Mohua tree to be still
