AMERICAN STORAX PRODUCTION : RESULTS OF DIFFER- 

 ENT METHODS OF TAITTNG RED (iUM TREES 



Bv Eloise Gkrkv 



Microscopist, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wis. 



During the recent war the supply of Oriental storax obtained from 

 Liqiiidambar oricntalis Mill, was cut off. and interest was aroused in 

 the commercial production of our native sweet gum, or x\merican 

 storax, from Liqiiidambar styraciflua L., the red gum or star-leaved 

 gum. During 1918 the Forest Products Laboratory vv^as active in 

 bringing together producers and consumers, with the result that sev- 

 eral thousand pounds of gum were marketed. Because of war condi- 

 tions this storax brought an abnormally high price. 



rsi;s oi" STORAX 



Storax is used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, perfumes, 

 and tobacco. It is also a source of cinnamic acid and cinnamyl alco- 

 hol, wliich. in turn, are used in making perfumes, pharmaceutical 

 preparations, and fine chemicals. Before the w^ar about 35,000 pounds ^ 

 of storax was imported for annual consumption. 



CIII-MICAL AXALVSKS 



Analyses made at the Forest Products Laboratory - and elsewhere ' 

 have been published, and indicate that the American storax compares 

 well with the Oriental storax and should prove equally satisfactory 

 for commercial purposes. Reports on the commercial use of the 

 domestic product have also been favorable. 



' Reports Bureau of Statistics. U. S. Dept. Commerce and Labor. 



" Maliood. S. .\. in. ed. 



•■■U. S. Dispensatory XX, 1077. 



Tschircli : "Die Harz und die Hartzbehalter" 1906. 308. 



Dieterich : "Analysis of Resins. Balsams ?nd Gum Resin (1901) 233. 



Delphin: "Chemical Abstracts" 2 (190S) 2S45. 



Delphin: "Apothekcr-Zeitung" 23 (190s) 79. 



Van Itallie: "Chemisches Central-Blatt" (1901) 856. 



Jordan: Journal Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 9 (1917) 770. 



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