uses of palm are many and various: there is almost no species which is not capa ble of being applied to some use. Tribes in the lowest grade of civilization depend almost entirely on particular species of palm, as the cocoa-nut palm, for the supply of all their wants. The fruit of some species is eaten; sometimes the fleshy part of the fruit, sometimes the kernel of the nut. The importance of the date and the cocoa nut needs only to be alluded to; but in this respect they far excel the fruits of all other palms. A grateful beverage is made from the fruit of some palms (see Ass,tr), consist ing simply of a mixture of the pulp with water; but a kind of wine can be obtained also by fermentation (see DATE). A kind of beverage more generally used is the sap of palm-trees, either fresh or fermented (palm-wine or toddy), from which also n kind of spirits called amuck (q.v.) is obtained by distillation; whilst front the fresh sap, boiled down. sugar is obtained—the javery of the East Indies. The sap of various species of palm is collected and used for these purposes, and that of many others is probably not less suitable. The pulp of the fruit of some species, and the kernel of others, yield bland. fixed oil, useful for various purposes. See OIL PALM and COCOA-NUT. The soft and starchy center of the stem of some palm affords a very important and abundant article of food. See SAGO. The terminal in 1, or cabbage, of sonic species is boiled for the table; and although the taking of the bud is death to the tree. this is little regarded where vegetation goes on with a rapidity and luxuriance unknown in the colder parts of the world. The young sprouts arising from the seeds of palm, when they have begun to vegetate, are another esculent of tropical countries. From the stems of some species of palm, as the wax palm (q.v.) of the Andes, and from the leaves of some, as the Carna huba palm (q.v.), wax is obtained, which is used for the same purposes as beeswax. The wood of palm is used in house-building, and for many other purposes; some afford ing very 4ard and beautiful wood for ornamental work, whilst others are suitable only for coarse purposes. The great leaf-stalks are also used for some of tile purposes of umber. The stems of tile most slender species are used for walking-sticks, etc., and, split or unsplit, for wicker-work. See RATTAN. The leaves of many palms are used for thatching houses. The spathes of some species are used as vessels or bags. "v.he
fibers of the leaf, the fibers connected with the leaf-stalk, the fibers of the• rind of the fruit, and the fibers of the stein of different kinds of palm are used for making cordage, mats, nets, cloth. etc. The most important of these fibers are Coir (q.v,), or cocoa-nut fiber, Gomuto (q v.), or Ejoo fiber, and piassaba (q.v.). The coarsest fibers are employed as bristles for making brushes, etc. Stripes of the delicate epidermis of the young unopened leaves of some South American palm. are twisl.ed, and so used for making a kind of thread; hammocks made of which are highly valued. See AsTitocAnym.r. The leaves of the Palmyra palm and Talipot palm are used in some parts of the e. for writing upon, an iron style being employed instead of a pen. One of the kinds of the resinous substance called Drogoa's Blood is obtained from the fruit of a palm. The Betel (q.v.) nut, abounding in catechu, is the fruit of a palm. The fruit of many palms is very acrid. The ashes pf the fruits of some American specks are used by the Indians as a substitute for salt, probably on account of potash, or some salt of potash, which. t'tey contain; and much potash may be obtained from the stems and leaves of pains. Veretable ivory (q.v.) is the kernel of the fruit of a palm ; and somewhat similar to it in qu.dity is the coquilla-nut (q.v.). But a complete enumeration of the uses to which Palm and their products are applied is almost impossible.
Some of the more important species of palm are noticed in separate articles.
About 500 species are known; but it is probable that many are still undescribed. Thu most complete work on palm is the monograph by Martius, Genera et Species Palma moo (3 vols. large folio, Munich, 1823-45), a magnificent work, with 219 colored plates; but new species have been discovered since its publication.
The cultivation of palm in hot-houses is attended with great expense. Separate houses are devoted to them in a few gardens, of which the greatest is that at Kew. A very tine palm-house has been erected in the botanic garden of Edinburgh. Palms are cultivated in hot-houses merely as object's of interest, and for the gratification of a. refined taste, never for the sake of their fruit or any other product.