74 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



young trees have produced fruit in two years after. They 

 will continue bearing fruit for more than a hundred years. 

 Many are now flourishing in Jamaica that were planted 

 when the Spaniards had it in their possession. 



The author of this work lately received from Jamaica a 

 cashew apple, bearing two distinct nuts, which was con- 

 sidered so rare a circumstance that it was preserved in 

 spirits. Its appearance is unnatural, resembling a lemon 

 pippin apple, with two lambs' kidneys stuck on the end. 



The wood of the cashew is excellent, strong, and last- 

 ing timber. 



These trees annually transude in large quantities, viz. 

 often to ten or twelve pounds' weight, a fine, semi-trans- 

 parent gum, similar to gum-arabic, and not at all inferior 

 to it in virtue and quality, except that it contains a light 

 astringency, which perhaps renders it the more valuable 

 in many respects : for this reason it is often used as a 

 succedaneum in the Jamaica shops. 



The thick oil of the nut or shell tinges linen of a rusty 

 iron colour, which can be hardly got out; and if any 

 wood be smeared with it, it preserves it from decay. From 

 the body of this tree is procured, by tapping, or incision, 

 a milky juice, which stains linen of a deep black, and 

 cannot be discharged. Dr. Grew mentions the juice 

 being used for staining of cottons ; but it is doubtful 

 which of the species he means, though Sir Hans Sloane 

 supposes it to be of the acajou or cashew, here men- 

 tioned. 



Long seems of opinion that this juice has the same 

 property as the Japan lac. 



The oil between the rinds of the nut, if held to the 

 candle, emits bright salient particles. This oil is used as 

 a cosmetic to remove freckles and sun-burning, but the 

 pain suffered makes its use not very frequent. Grainger. 



The pith, or medullary part of the anacardium, is ex- 



