The exports of areca-nuts from Ceylon will give some idea of the
supply of palms. In 1853 no less than three thousand tons were
shipped from this colony, valued at about 45,000 l. The greater
portion of these is consumed in India.
Two varieties of palms remain to be described - the date and the
sago. The former is a miserable species, which does not exceed
the height of three to five feet, and the fruit is perfectly
worthless.
The latter is indigenous throughout the jungles in Ceylon, but it
is neither cultivated, nor is the sago prepared from it.
The height of this palm does not exceed fifteen or twenty feet,
and even this is above the general average. It grows in the
greatest profusion in the Veddah country. The stem is rough and
a continuation of rings divides it into irregular sections. The
leaves are a rich dark green, and very light and feathery,
beneath which the nuts grow in clusters similar to those of the
areca palm.
The only use that the natives make of the produce of this tree
is in the preparation of flour from the nuts.
