SAGO, a nutritive farinaceous sub stance obtained from the pith of several species of palms, principally, however, from Sagus (Metroxylon) Rumphii, the spiny, and S. /xvis, which is spineless. For the natives of the eastern Archipel ago this palm is a source of vegetable food naturally more abundant and less variable in its yield than rice. The stem consists of a thin hard wall, about two inches thick, and of an enormous volume of a spongy medullary substance, which is edible. Each tree yields about 600 pounds of pith. There are three well marked varieties of this palm. The tree grows in Java, Sumatra, Celebes, Borneo, Malacca, and Siam. The only countries, however, where it is found growing in large forests are New Guinea, the Moluc cas, Celebes, Mindanao, Borneo, and Su matra, being widely spread over the Mo luccas, but confined to particular parts of the others. A tree becomes mature at about 15 years.
These palms propagate themselves by lateral shoots as well as by seed, and they die after producing fruit, so that a sago plantation once formed is perpetual. Large quantities of the meal in its pure state are sent to Singapore from the eastern islands, where it is granulated or pearled and bleached by the Chinese for shipment to Europe. It comes into commerce in
three forms, the common brown sago, pearl sago, and sago flour. It is made by two processes, the starch grains being burst in some samples and not in others.
The chief uses of sago in Europe are for feeding stock, making starch, and in giv ing thickness and consistency to cocoa.
The stem, about 15 to 20 feet, is cut into lengths, split open, and the pith dug out and placed in a vessel with a sieve bottom. Water is applied to separate the flour and carry it into a second ves sel, where it is soon deposited. The water is then run off, and the flour dried. The produce of a tree ranges from 600 to 750 pounds. Pearl sago (which the Chinese of Malacca prepare and send to Singa pore) is in small white spherical grains. There are several varieties which differ much in color, some being white and oth ers reddish brown. One kind of granu lated sago from India has been introduced under the name of tapioca—the real TAP IOCA (q. v.) being a totally different sub stance. Sago is not entirely soluble in hot water like ordinary starch, and can therefore be employed in making pud dings, etc.