ACACIA 



THE DISTILLER'S ACACIA MODESTA 



Gum 



been done in the GUM of this species, exported from Karachi. Stoke* (speaking Oom. 



1 many years ago) says that it is inferior to gum arabic, but is used 

 in in. .licind, calico-printing, and in paper-making. ('..; M Ti^he has much 

 . as to the difference between this and the trim gum arabic (the khor-ka- 

 Uor) which ."'<' under A. m-ttfyui. But it maybe added in conclusion that 

 Messrs. Kuuntiuo & Co., Ltd., of York, have pronounced the Amritsar samples 

 (ni.-ntioiiril nl>i)vo) as the best of the series of Indian j." .nn-<l l>y th.-m, 



for 1 1 10 confectioner's requirements. " It is strongly mucilaginous and forms a *jJJ* w e *r 

 tliin jrlly on standing with ton proportions of water. The solution is brownish, 0oo * l *W Mr y. 

 I nit fairly free from sediment, and the flavour is sweet." It has been ascertained 

 that about 35 cwt. of this are annually procurable in Amiii 



A. leucophloea, Wittd. ; Fl. Br. Ind., ii., 294; Gamble, D.E.P., 

 M an. Ind. Timbs., 295 ; Brandis, Ind. Trees, 265. The safed kikar, arinj, * 52< 

 rinj, reru, nimbar, goira, hewar, haribaval, vel-vellam, tella-tuma, tanaung. 

 This large deciduous fast-growing tree is found in the plains of the Panjdb 

 and Rajputana, the forests of Central and South India and Burma. It 

 prefers a low-lying situation, and in the Panjab its presence is regarded 

 as significant of a rich soil. Its branches are often disfigured by large 

 excrescences. 



According to Mr. J. G. Prebble, it yields a GUM readily soluble in water, Gum. 

 which forms a good thick pale-coloured mucilage, possessed of the somewhat 

 peculiar property of being gelatinised by borax but unaffected by ether, neutral 

 or basic acetate of lead or perchloride of iron. It seems probable that, owing 

 to its close chemical affinity, this gum is often largely used to adulterate the 

 better qualities of " Gum Ghati " (see p. 17) of commerce. According to Mr. Hooper 

 (Agri. Ledg., 1902, No. 1, 26) a specimen of the bark sent from the Province 

 of Mysore was found to contain 20 - 8 per cent, tannin, being equal to the best 

 babul-bark ; but this seems to have been an exceptional case, as he adds that a 

 sample examined at Dehra Dun yielded only 9'33 per cent. Its use as a TAN 

 is therefore doubtful. The bark affords a strong FIBEE said to be much valued Fibre, 

 for fishing-nets. Ground to a powder it is sometimes eaten with bajra, especially 

 in times of scarcity. But it has obtained a considerable reputation as an 

 astringent used in alcoholic DISTILLATION. On this account it is often called 

 sharab-ki-kikar (spirit Acacia). The tannin precipitates the albuminous sub- Distillation, 

 stances present in the saccharine juices, and thus facilitates fermentation, but 

 is also said to give a pleasant astringent flavour to the beverage. In the Southern 

 .Marat ha country the trees are farmed out by Government, in consequence of 

 the value of the bark. A distiller in South India recently informed me that 

 he would use this bark more extensively than at present, were it possible to 

 obtain a guarantee of quality. He held that while most Acacia barks might 

 be employed in fermentation, that of the present species was so much superior 

 to all others as to justify its being called " The Distiller's Acacia." [Cf. Cooke, 

 Fl. Free. Bomb., i., 447.] 



A. modesta, ''Wall, ; FL Br. Ind., ii., 296 ; Gamble, Man. D.E.P., 

 Ind. Timbs., 299 ; Brandis, Ind. Trees, 266. The phula, phuldi, bhamburi, i., 52. 

 kantosirayo, palosa. A moderate-sized tree found in the Suliman and 

 Salt Ranges, the Sub-Himalaya between the Indus and Sutlej and is one 

 of the characteristic trees of the Northern Panjab plains. It grows readily 

 in poor sandy or rocky soils, but curiously enough is also found occasionally 

 in very damp situations. It is a slow grower, and in consequence is not 

 often planted, except as a fence, for which it is peculiarly suited. 



It yields sparingly a very useful GUM wlu'ch occurs in small round tears or Qum. 

 angular fragments, with a few vermiform pieces marked with waved transverse 

 lines. Prebble says, "It is translucent and of a yellowish colour ; very 

 soluble in water, forming a good pale-coloured mucilage. With basic acetate of 

 lead and ferric chloride it forms a jelly, but not with borax : with neutral acetate used in 

 of lead a faint precipitate or cloudiness, and a slight reduction with Fehling's Medicine, 

 solution." The gum is sent to Bombay from Northern India, and is classed 

 by the merchants as " Amritsar Gum." The Panjab supply comes mainly 

 from the Rawalpindi and Jhelum districts. In Northern India it is largely 



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