CONIFER^E. 381 



^ 



Harriln (Afghanistan) to tan leather (he doubtless alludes to the 



n 



tar which is used in the Punjab to dress the inflated skins used 

 for crossing rivers). 



Description. — The wood sold in the bazars is of a light 

 yellowish-brown colour, very heavy^ and in thin sections trans- 

 lucent, owing to the large proportion of turpentine contained in 

 it. It has an agreeable terebinthinate odour. 



Preparation of the tar, — First, an earthen vessel {ghara)^ with 

 a wide mouth, and capable of containing about 4 seers, is sunk 

 in the ground. IS'ext^ a large ghara of about ]2 seers* capacity 

 is taken, and three small holes are drilled in its underside ; 

 it is then filled with scraps of the wood, and over its mouth 

 another smaller jar is placed, and kept there by a luting of 

 claj^; and then both the jars are smeared over with a coating 

 of clay. These two jars thus stuck together are next set on the 

 mouth of the receiver sunk into the ground, and the joint is 

 made tight by clay. Firewood is now heaped round the 

 apparatus and lighted, and kept burning from four to eight 

 hours. The jars are then separated and the tar removed. 

 One seer (2 pounds) of wood yields about 2*6 chittaks (5^ 

 ounces) of tar. [Baden-rowell^ Punjab Prod.) 



Chemical compO'^iit mi. — An alcoholic extract of the wood was 

 spontaneously evaporated to dryness by exi)0sure to air, and the 

 extract agitated with petroleum ether, and the insoluble residue 

 treated with caustic vSc^da and agitated with ether. 



The petroleum other extract on spontaneous evaporation left 

 a transparent, pale yellow varnish-like residue, with a very 

 fragrant terebinthinate odour, M'hich became hard on exposure 



in thin layers, but preserved a perfect transparency. This 

 extract was treated with aqueous caustic potash and agitated, 

 with ether. The mixture after standing separated into three 

 layers. The lowest stratum was of a reddish yellow colour, the 

 middle darker in colour, and the small amount which floated 

 above the ether of a bright light yellow tint. The ethereal 

 layer on spontaneous evaporation^ left a Siitiny mass of fragrant 

 odour, which, on microscopic examination, consisted of interhiced 



