794 



Among the plant introductions during August, the most 

 interesting and important, perhaps, are two large col- 

 lections of seed received from Darjeeling, in the Sikkim 

 Himalayas. One of these collections was made under the 

 supervision of Mr. G. H. Cave, Director of the Lloyd Bo- 

 tanic Garden, at the request of Mr. Wilson Popenoe, of 

 this Office, and the other by Mr. L. J. Mackintosh, at the 

 request of Mr. J. F. Rock of Honolulu, traveling as a Col- 

 laborator of this Office. Many of the plants are of in- 

 terest, several are quite new to this country, and one or 

 two perhaps may prove quite worthy of continued culti- 

 vation in this country. All plants listed in this bul- 

 letin therefore are from Darjeeling, and the descriptions 

 given are from Watt's Dictionary of the Economic Products 

 of India, or Hooker's Flora of British India, unless 

 otherwise specified. 



Acacia catechu. (Mimosaceae . ) 38991. Seeds of the 

 cutch from Darjeeling, India. The various forms of the 

 cutch tree all yield a gum, an astringent extract and a 

 useful timber. The gum is of pale yellow color and often 

 occurs in tears one inch in diameter. It is sweet to the 

 taste, soluble in water, and forms a strong, pale-colored 

 mucilage. Most of the superior qualities of gum arabic, 

 especially those of south India, are very possibly ob- 

 tained from this species of Acacia. The timber has yel- 

 lowish-white sapwood, with heartwood either dark or light 

 red, and extremely hard. It seasons well, takes a fine 

 polish, and is extremely durable. It is used for all 

 kinds of agricultural implements, wheelwrights' work, 

 etc. In Burma it is used for house posts and very largely 

 as fuel for the steamers of the Irrawaddy flotilla. The 

 fuel of dead cutch or khair is much valued by goldsmiths. 

 In northern India cutch wood is made into charcoal, and Is 

 regarded as one of the best woods for that purpose. It 

 has been pronounced good for railway sleepers. A cubic 

 foot of the wood weighs from 50 to 75 pounds according to 

 the variety. The tree is chiefly important as furnishing 

 the astringent catechu, so largely used in tanning. This 

 is extracted from the chips by means of boiling water, the 

 heartwood only being used. This necessitates the complete 

 destruction of the trees, so that the Gujarat method of 

 lopping the larger branches seems more economical and 

 likely to recommend itself for general use. 



ferox. (Ranunculaceae . ) 38993. Seeds of 

 monkshood from Darjeeling, India. One of the numerous 

 forms of the so-called "Nepal aconites," so largely used 

 in Indian medicine. Of interest possibly for trial in 

 this country as a producer of aconite, since this group of 

 the genus furnishes a poison of unusual strength. 



