ON GUM AND SUGAR TREES 



loid deposited in their bark. And doubtless the 

 same thing is true of most or all other producers 

 of commercial alkaloids. 



Seemingly there is a splendid field, then, for the 

 plant experimenter, could he establish a labora- 

 tory and experiment garden in the tropics, in the 

 development of improved races of cinchona trees 

 and of numerous other suppliers of medicinal 

 alkaloids. The monetary return from such an 

 enterprise would probably be larger than that 

 which usually rewards the efforts of the plant 

 developer in temperate zones, because the field is 

 virgin, and because there is no present possibility 

 of competition outside the tropics. 



It remains to be said that there are a few other 

 trees and shrubs of our own latitude that may 

 advantageously command the attention of the 

 plant developer for the improvement of quantity 

 or quality of the by-products of their life activities 

 tkat man has found useful. 



It seems not unlikely that the horse chestnut, 

 or buckeye, could be so educated as to become a 

 profitable starch producer. At present this tree 

 produces an abundant crop of nuts, but these are 

 worthless because they contain a bitter principle 

 that makes them inedible. Yet the nut of the horse 

 chestnut is very starchy and if the bitter principle 

 could be eliminated there is no reason why it 



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