18 lirigade-Siirguon J. E. T. Aitchison's Notes on Products 



rud Valley, and Khorasan, at an altitude of ;>(J00 feet. From 

 th(na is obtained a gum called katira, yahlna, exuding from 

 fissures in the bark, in the form of Tkagacanth, or on cutting 

 across the stem it shoots out of the medullary cavity like pipe 

 Tragacanth. This is collected in large quantities at a village 

 called Kalla-roving near Bezd, in Khorasan, for exportation 

 in all directions from this to India, Persia, and Turkestan, to be 

 chiefly employed in the stiffening, glazing, and facing of local 

 fabrics. Most of the gum sold in India as kaf/ira is this, and 

 not the product of any Indian plant. See Pharmaceutical 

 Journal and Transactions, December 11, 1886, page 467. 



Astragalus Holdichianus, Aitch. et Baker. Leguminos.e. 

 A. KAHiRicus, B.C.; A. AuGANUS, Buuge ; A. buchtor- 

 MENSIS, Pall. 



All these Asteagali have long fibrous, whip-like roots, of 

 which the bark makes splendid twine and rope, for which 

 purposes they are employed by the natives. To obtain as 

 much of the root entire as can be done at one operation, 

 they employ the following plan, — they pass one end of a 

 short loop of twine over the neck of the root, and through 

 the other end of the loop a stick, then use the latter as a 

 lever against the ground, the root fractures deep down in 

 the soil, and thus pieces of from one to two feet in length 

 are obtained. I first heard of this plan in the Kuiam Valley, 

 but only saw it put in execution here. 



Astragalus hyrcanus, Pallas. Legumixosj:. 

 Udish (Baluchi). A most valuable fodder in the desert, 

 arid tracts. The very marked pyramidal shape of this shrub, 

 causes its recognition at long distances ; at first I had the 

 idea that this peculiar form might be due to the browsing of 

 cattle, but this is not the case, it seems to grow naturally thus. 



Astragalus SarcocoUa, Di/mock. Legumixosje. (Pharmaco- 

 grapliia Indica, vol. i. p. 476, 1890.) 



As these pages were passing through the press I only 

 received the Pliarmacographia Indica, in which the authors 

 consider that SarcocoUa is the product of an Astragalus, 

 not only from finding the fruit of an Astragalus amongst 

 the gum, but also from the fact that "the seed when soaked in 

 water swells, l)ursts, and a mass of SarcocoUa protrudes ; some 



