No. 1. 



Wood Oil. 



13 



not fortuitously. Fourth — that among all the 

 agents obviously manifest in its creation, 

 electricity plays a decided and prominent 

 part. Fifth — that grasses have no influence 

 in its formation, for this reason — there is often 

 no blight in those wheat or rye fields where 

 grass abounds. Sixth — that its existence de- 

 pends not upon foggy or damp mornings, nor 

 heavy dew. 



In conclusion, it is the action of natural and 

 physical agents, controlled by the power of an 

 invisible hand ; that beneficent wisdom that di- 

 rects and controls all things, whose laws are 

 immutable and unchanging, and who exhibits 

 a spiritual existence in the smallest and most 

 insignificant object; who can create or destroy; 

 an Almighty Spirit, pervading the vast and in- 

 comprehensible universe of things. We may 

 devise these things, but, alas! our imagina- 

 tion is too limited to form an accurate con- 

 ception of them, and science, with her mighty 

 penetration, leaves us still in the dark. 



I have been led to make the above re- 

 marks, from a perusal of the last Cabinet, 

 wherein much is said concerning blight. I 

 had no intention of preparing an article for 

 your columns, still, if you think that what 1 

 have said will be any advantage to the com- 

 munity, I have no objection to your publish- 

 ing it; if not, you will confer a favour by 

 disposing of it according to the rules of re- 

 jected candidates. 



Very respectfully, yours, &c., 

 J. N. Keeler. 



Mulberry Farm, July 10th, 1841. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Wood Oil. 



Sir, — In the 7th volume of the Transac- 

 tions of the Agricultural and Horticultural 

 Society of India, there is an extremely inte- 

 resting account of a species of tree growing 

 in the Tenasserim Provinces, which, by tap- 

 ping somewhat after the manner practised 

 upon the maple-trees in our country, yields 

 an oil or balsam of most peculiar properties; 

 the, whole statement is so concise and satis- 

 factory, that I must copy it for insertion in 

 your pages. 



" Some parts of the Tenasserim Provinces 

 are covered with wood-oil trees, which attain 

 an immense size ; they grow without branches 

 to the height of 60 or 70 feet, with a circum- 

 ference of from 6 to 12 feet ; the wood is very 

 light and considered inferior, but charcoal 

 made from it is the best adapted for the 

 manufacture of gunpowder. To obtain the 

 oil, a notch is cut into the tree not far from 

 the ground, a receptacle like a basin is then 

 formed, where a fire is kept up until the cir- 

 culation of the sap is directed by this artificial 

 irritation towards that part, after which the 



liquid begins to ooze out, and continues to 

 run for several weeks, if the charred part is 

 scraped away, and a new wound is inflicted. 

 The almost incredible quantity which is thus 

 obtained from a single tree in this way, 

 amounts to thirty or even forty gallons ; 

 many thousands of the finest trees are avail- 

 able for the purpose, and hitherto totally un- 

 used. The value of this substance has never 

 yet been properly appreciated ; it is used by 

 the natives, on account of its high inflamma- 

 bility, mixed with dry putrid wood wrapped 

 in palm leaves, as torches, and is the common 

 substitute for oil or candles used as light by 

 all classes of the Burmans; but besides this 

 main purpose, it is used as medicine in rheu- 

 matic diseases, and a preservative against the 

 ternus or white ant, for which purpose it is 

 smeared over the posts of their houses. In 

 Calcutta it is used for the purpose of painting 

 ships, which is truly wasteful, considering its 

 great value for other purposes. Having che- 

 mically the greatest affinity to turpentine, it 

 can be used for the same purposes for which 

 the fine lac varnish by oil of turpentine is 

 employed. When purified, it resembles the 

 finest varnishes, which when laid upon paint- 

 ings covers them with a transparent fine 

 coating which never turns yellow, and dries 

 quickly. There is also another most import- 

 ant application of this substance, in the forma- 

 tion of oil cloth, tarpaulings, &c., and it has 

 been declared by naval men, who have made 

 the experiment, that the cloth, respecting du- 

 rability, is preferable to the patent anti-mil' 

 dew canvass made in and exported from Eng- 

 land." 



On perusing this very interesting volume, 

 I find that the Society have received packages 

 of seeds and plants from this country, which 

 have reached their destination in security by 

 being placed in glazed boxes: would it not 

 be possible to obtain by the same means spe- 

 cimens of the above most valuable plant"! it 

 would in all probability flourish in some of 

 our southern states and form a noble addition 

 to our national resources. Is there not some- 

 thing novel in the mode adopted to extract 

 this oil from the tree by directing the flow of 

 the sap by " artificial irritation" by means of 

 fire, towards the notch cut into the tree 1 — 

 and would not the same process be applicable 

 in the operation of tapping the sugar-maple 1 

 Will those of your readers who have the 

 means of making the experiment, put it to 

 the test 7 John Gerry. 



York County. 



In Persia, they take birds with a hand-net, 

 first disguising themselves with the skin of 

 an animal, with the horns on the top of the 

 head. 



