Sago
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Sago. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a nutritive farinaceous substance obtained from the pith of several species of palms, principally, however, from Sagus (Metroxylon) Rumphii, the spiny, and S. lævis, which is spineless. For the natives of the eastern Archipelago 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 wellmarked 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 Moluccas, Celebes, Mindanao, Borneo, and Sumatra, being widely spread over the Moluccas, 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 giving 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 vessel, 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 Singapore) is in small white spherical grains. There are several varieties which differ much in color, some being white and others reddish brown. One kind of granulated sago from India has been introduced under the name of tapioca-the real TAP- IOCA (q. v.) being a totally different substance. Sago is not entirely soluble in hot water like ordinary starch, and can therefore be employed in making puddings, etc.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a starchy product of several palm trees of Malaysia. When the sago palm is about to blossom the pith is full of starch. The trees are cut into logs of convenient lengths. These are split and the pith is scraped out of their centers. From this pith, by repeated tramping and washing in a trough of water, a quantity of white liquid is obtained. This heavily laden white water is strained off into a receptacle and allowed to "settle." A white starch is deposited. This, when dried, is the sago flour of commerce. The natives make bread of it. Singapore exports $8,000,000 worth of sago and tapioca yearly. See Tapioca