uence of western civilization is being
felt, and in the towns the tendency now is towards maroon, brown, olive and
dark green for the women's skirts. The total number of persons engaged in
the production of textile fabrics in Burma according to the census of 1901
was 419,007. The chief dye-product of Burma is cutch, a brown dye obtained
from the wood [v.04 p.0843] of the _sha_ tree. Cutch-boiling forms the
chief means of livelihood of a large number of the poorer classes in the
Prome and Thayetmyo districts of Lower Burma, and a subsidiary means of
subsistence elsewhere. Cheroot making and smoking is universal among both
sexes. The chief arts of Burma are wood-carving and silver work. The floral
wood-carving is remarkable for its freedom and spontaneity. The carving is
done in teak wood when it is meant for fixtures, but teak has a coarse
grain, and otherwise _yamane_ clogwood, said to be a species of gmelina, is
preferred. The tools employed are chisel, gouge and mallet. The design is
traced on the wood with charcoal, gouged out in the rough, and finished
with sharp fine tools, using the mallet for every stroke. The great bulk of
the silver work is in the form of bowls of different sizes, in shape
something like the lower half of a barrel, only more convex, of betel
boxes, cups and small boxes for lime. Both in the wood-carving and silver
work the Burmese character displays itself, giving boldness, breadth and
freedom of design, but a general want of careful finish. Unfortunately the
national art is losing its distinctive type through contact with western
civilization.

_Commerce._--The chief articles of export from Burma are rice and timber.
In 1805 the quantity of rice exported in the foreign and coastal trade
amounted to 1,419,173 tons valued at Rs.9,77,66,132, and in 1905 the
figures were 2,187,764 tons, value Rs.15,67,28,288. England takes by far
the greatest share of Burma's rice, though large quantities are also
consumed in Germany, while France, Italy, Belgium and Holland also consume
a considerable amount. The regular course of trade is apt to be deflected
by famines in India or Japan. In 1900 over one million tons of rice were
shipped to India during the famine there. The rice-mills, almost all
situated at the various seaports, secure the harvest from the cultivator
through middlemen. The value of teak exported in 1895 was Rs.1,34,64,303,
and in 1905, Rs.1,31,03,401. Subordinate products for exports include cut