2)5 



Uganda. It m Podocarpm m iianjiana, w. arboresns. . . 



It occurs practically on the Lake shore, a point of considerable 

 importance respecting transport, and is distributed more or h-ss 

 throughout the forests down to the Kagera River, and is said by 

 the Baseba to extend beyond the Anglo-German boundary. The 

 tree does not exceed about 40 feet in height, but serviceable 

 timber can be cut from it. Its insect-resisting qualities are well 

 Known to the natives. Instances have come to my notice where 

 tne poles have been taken inland a distance of nearly 15 miles for 

 bin cling purposes. A chief, whose father had died and left a house 

 built six years ago, is said to have rebuilt it with the same poles 

 mat were as sound as ever, and this is unusual where white ants 

 occur, the young poles are very largely used for building pur- 

 poses, and the result is that forests in thickly populated districts, 

 like bango and Kanabulemu, do not contain many large trees. 

 lhis Podocarpus is known to the natives at Dumu as < Mukeke,' 

 at Kanabulemu and Sango as ■ Musenene,' and to the Baseba as 

 Muyunjui. It grows usually in swampy forests, and could only 

 be obtained in quantity during the dry seasons." 



Mr. Dawe found the type sparsely distributed above 8,000 feet 

 on Kuwenzon Mountain, where it forms a tree 40 to 70 feet high ; 



3 OOoTt arhorescem he fmma in Bu <idu, at an altitude of 



W.W. 



.. 



Sudan Gum.-In the Kew Bulletin for 1006, No. 4, p. 109, in an 

 article dealing with « Persian Gum " a passage was quoted from 

 the Pharmaceutical Journal, March 29th, 181*0, p. 793. The 

 writer of the passage in question, citing as his authority Professor 

 Ji. bickenberger, stated that quantities of Persian gum "aresert 

 « tTT c Busmre ' either to a small port on the west coast of the 

 « 5 i or to Jedda > in or( ler that it may be substituted for 

 i( Kord °fan gum. It is thence conveyed to Assouan and packed 

 ^ in old Kordofan packages and sold as genuine gum. Owing to 

 ^ its pale color and the absence of any suspicion that the gum 

 from Assouan could be other than good Gum Arabic, a consider- 

 * able amount has been sold." 



This passage has attracted the attention of the Central Economic 

 Board of the Sudan Government, who have instructed their 

 Secretary^ to explain that the statement in the Pharmaceutical 

 Journal is based on a misapprehension as to an incident which 

 occurred fifteen years ago. The letter of explanation, which is 

 reproduced below, shows that a large consignment of Persian 

 gum was, at least on one occasion, purchased by a dealer at 

 Assouan under the belief that he was buying Sudan gum ; thus 

 far, therefore, the statement in the Pharmaceutical Journal, 

 based on Professor Sickenberger's authority, is accurate. But 

 from the explanation it would appear that, whatever the extent 

 to which the practice described by Professor Skkenberger may 

 formerly have prevailed, that practice no longer exists. 



