338 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



CAOUTCHOUC AND ITS SUPPLY. 



The sources from whence the supply of caoutchouc to the United 

 Stales has been derived, have until within a very recent period, been ex- 

 clusively the northern and eastern districts of South America. Latter- 

 ly, however, owing to the inadequacy of the supply from that quarter 

 to meet the growing demand, a quantity has during the last two years 

 been brought from Java, Penang, Singapore and Assam. Yet with 

 all these additions to our sources of obtaining this useful article, it is 

 apprehended that the market will shortly fail to offer enough to meet 

 the growing demand at remunerative prices, as this gum, formerly so 

 despised as not to be worth importation, has increased in value, within 

 a few years, from 15 to 60 cents per pound a price almost too high 

 to render its manufacture remunerative, though it is difficult, to obtain 

 it, even at this enormous rate. This deficiency arises not from natu- 

 ral but solely from artificial causes, the interior of the countries to 

 which this tree is indigenous, being for the most part inaccessible to 

 our traders ; were it otherwise, South America alone could assuredly 

 supply all the wants of this Continent and Europe. 



Though we are indebted to the East Indies and Carthagena, in 

 New Grenada, for a portion of the india rubber gum we employ in 

 manufacture, yet Para, in Brazil, is the place from which we derive 

 our principal supply, and the following table, derived from the most 

 reliable sources, will show the steady increase of the last six years. 

 Our merchants imported from Para: 



In 1848 .... 666,000 

 In 1849 .... 805.000 ' 

 In 1850 .... 1,310,000 



In 1851 . . . 1,836,000 



' 



In lS'j2 .... 1.439,000 

 In 1853 .... 2.000,000 



The latter being the estimated returns by the close of the present 

 year. A decrease will be observed in the year 1852, but this was 

 occasioned entirely by the deficiency of the supply from that quarter, 

 large importations from England having brought the general entries 

 slightly above those of any former year. Small shipments have lat- 

 terly been made from East Indian ports, to the extent of about 

 100,000 Ibs., during each of the last two years, but owing to the infe- 

 riority of the article to that of Para, it is but little in demand. Car- 

 thagena sent to the United States in 1852, 150,000 Ibs., and this year 

 it is supposed that not less than double that quantity will be derived 

 from the same source. 



THE COONTEE, OR FLORIDA ARROW ROOT. 



A correspondent of the New York Tribune gives the following 

 description of the Coontee, or Florida Arrow lioot. 



It is allied to the Sa<p palm, and a plant some three feet high, ap- 

 parently thriving best in barren lands. The root contains 12 percent, 

 of pure starch, and has been used by the Indians, as an article of 



