418 '  JUGLANS CINEREA. 
- The bark of the branches affords a large quan- 
tity of soluble: matter, chiefly of the extractive 
kind, In a concentrated tincture I have not been 
able:to detect any appearance of resin. No evi- 
ce of tannin is produced by the test of gelatin. 
A brownish black colour is caused by the sulphate 
ofivon.' The distilled water possesses the taste 
of the bark in a considerable degree. We are 
_ authorized to conclude that water is: an adequate 
solvent for this article, and experience has shewn 
that the watery extract is one of its best prepar- 
aflonsutiiedin 5 be jencente : | 
‘The sap of the Bektérnet tree is saccharine, 
like that of: the Maple, and may be procured. in 
large quantities. In the third yolume of the Mas- 
- sachusetts Agricultural Repository is an account 
of an experiment made on this tree by Mr. M. P. 
Gray. He':states that four trees, the trunks of 
which were only from eight to ten inches in dis 
ameter, produced-in one day nine quarts of sap, 
from which'was made one pound and a quarter of 
sugar. » This quantity, it appears from: his state- 
ment, is equal if not superior to’ that. which the 
— affords in the: same’ Vicinity. | 
The inner bark of this tree, winition thet ob- 
tained from the root, affords one of the most mild 
and efficacious laxatives which we possess. It is 
