Vol. XVI. No. 404. 



THE AGEICULTURAL NEWS 



.333 



UTILIZATION OF WASTE WOOD. 



Some years ago it was pointed out in an article published 

 in the Bullettn of the Imperial Listitttte (1909, 7, 13) that 

 the distillation of wood is an industry that might well be 

 extended in the British Empire. At that time the industry 

 was in operation in Canada and Austrilia, and its possibilities 

 in Natal and India were suggested. Wood distillation at the 

 present time is being carried on at a number of places in the 

 United Kingdom, notably at the Government Works in the 

 Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire; but, as is stated in the Bulle- 

 tin for October-December 191 6, this country is largely depend- 

 ent on foreign countries for its supplies ot wood distillation 

 products, which include acetate of lime, acetic acid, acetone, 

 methyl alcohol, and wood tar; and tables are given in the 

 publication last quoted, showing the imports of these products 

 into the United Kingdom during the last three years. From 

 these tables it is seen that the only country of the Empire 

 which supplies the United Kingdom with any of these 

 products is Canada. 



In view of the fact that acetone is at present required 

 in large quantities for the manufacture of propellant 

 explosive.s, the dependence on foreign countries for these 

 supplies is rightly regarded as unsatisfactory. It is pointed 

 out, however, in the Bulletin last mentioned, that during the 

 last year or two, the question of the destructive distillation 

 of wood and other vegetable substances has been taken up 

 in certain British countries. {Agricultural News, Vol. XVI, 

 No 388, p. 71.) For example, the possibility of utilizing the 

 wattle wood which accumulates in connexion with the wattle- 

 bark industry in the East Africa Protectorate, has also been 

 considered, and a consignment of this wood, as well as of 

 olive wood, which is used as fuel in the Protectorate, was 

 sent to the Imperial Institute early last year in order that 

 distillation trials might be carried out. A table summarizing 

 the detailed results shows that these woods yielded the 

 following products:-^ 



Black Wattle, Olive wood, 



1 ton. 1 ton. 



Acetic acid 4'7 per cent. 3 per cent. 



Equivalent to acetate 



of lime 6-2 „ „ ' 4-0 „ „ 



Methyl alcohol 12 „ „ 16 „ „ 



Tar, separated 60 „ „ 7 4 „ „ 



Charcoal 27 ,, ,, 29 ,, ,, 



From a comparison of the probable yield and value of 

 the various products obtainable from a ton of each of the 

 above wood.s, with the actual yields and values of the 

 products obtained at a modern factory in the United Kingdom 

 distilling oak wood, it appears that, on the basis lA the prices 

 obtainable in .June 1914, which may be regarded as normal, 

 both wattle wood and olive wood show a slight advaut.age 

 over oak wood, and should therefore be at least as |irofitable to 

 distil. And it is argued that as large quantities of acetate 

 of lime and wood spirit are used in the United Kingdom, 

 considerable ijuantities being imported from the United 

 States and elsewhere, theie would be no difficulty about 

 finding a market in the United Kingdom for these products 

 from East Africa, if a wood distillation industry were 

 started in that Protectorate. 



It would appear from the foregoing that the possibilities 

 for the development of a new and remunerative industry in 

 the East Africa Protectorate are considerable. 



We might add that increased attention is being given to 

 eisal cultivation in .some parts of the West Indies, and it 

 would not be improbable for the fermentation of sisal waste as 

 an industry to be undertaken. Results obtained from the 

 fermentation of this material in British East -Africa were 

 published in the number of this Journal above quoted. 



TWO POSSIBLE SUBSTITUTES FOR 



SQUASHES. 



The natural order of plants to whish the name Cucur- 

 bitaeeae is given contains many which are grown in almost 

 every country of the world as affording palatable, wholesome 

 succulent fruits or vegetables, such as pumpkins and squashes,- 

 cucumbers and melon.s. On the other hand, some of the 

 genera of the order, such as Bryonia and Colocynth, possess 

 poisonoijs qualities. There are, however, some genera 

 the fruits of which, though valued in certain places as 

 articles of food, are either generally unknown or unutilized 

 for that purpose. 



Among these is Momordica Charantia, known in 

 the West Indies under various names, 'balsam apple' in some 

 islands, 'maiden apple' in others. This plant is a rapid 

 growing annual creeper, very ornamental both in foliage and 

 flower, and its bright yellow fruits with their crimson seeds 

 are, perhaps, its most ornamental feature The only use 

 made of the fruit in the West Indies, as far aa the writer 

 is aware, is that they are sometimes pickled when creen. 

 In the eastern tropics, however, where the plant is indigenous, 

 it is regularly cultivated, and its fruit used for food. " From 

 a paper in the Philippine Agriculturist ant Forester 

 February 1917, it appears that superior varieties are grown 

 in those islands the ripe fruit of which is from 6 to 8 inches 

 in length, and white in.stead of being bright yellow, and which 

 finds ready sale in the local markets. These fruits are generally 

 used, we learn from the same source, 'for salads and in 

 a curry with fish. In the Philippines the leaves are used 

 al,so in curry with fish or meat,' 



We regret that we have no information as to the stage 

 at which the fruits are so used, as some of our readers 

 might like to e.xperiment in this direotio i with a view to 

 adding another item to their list of edible delicacies. It 

 ought to be remembered, however, that the seeds and their 

 sticky red covering have a disagreeable taste, and they 

 should be reuioved before making experiments with the 

 outer part. The probability is that the fruit is made use of 

 before it is ripe, as is the case with cucumbers. 



Another plant of the same order, which has also 

 been introduced into the West Indies from the eastern 

 tropics, is Luffa cylindrica, known in these islands as 

 'Strainer vine'. When the gourd-like fruits of this 

 climber are fully ripe they contain a mass of netted 

 fibre, which is often used as a bath sponge, or as a 

 wide-meshed strainer; hence the local name. But like the 

 .Momordica, the fruits of the Luffa are used as a vegetable in 

 the east. For this purpose they must be picked when young, 

 becaus3 the fibrous intermil structure begins to develop as 

 the fruit matures, and it then becomes quite uneatable. 

 In the Philippines, where it is cultivated in market gardens 

 quite extensively, the green fruit is cooked with meat, 

 and used in making soup. A distinguished botanist, 

 Dr Roxburgh, has slid that when 'peeled, boiled, and 

 dres'ed with butter, pepper, and salt, this vegetable fruit 

 is (inly a little inferior to green peas.' Perhaps ihe Doctor's 

 gastronomic discernment was not quite equal to his botanic 

 knowledge, but the fact that the fruit of the Luffa is recog- 

 nized in many places as a pleas mt and wholesome article 

 of food, makes it deserving of a trial in this way on West 

 Indian tables. 



A sisal growers' association has been formed in the 

 Cayman Island.s, and loans are to be made from local funds 

 to enable the people, who are extremely poor, to prepare 

 their lands, and to purchase suckers for growing this fibre- 

 yielding plant. (The Field, for August 18, 1917.) 



