GUTTA CULTIVATION. 



51 



the twigs and small branches to lose 63 per cent, and the green 

 leaves 65 per cent. 



The actual figures for these latter determinations are : — 



Practically, therefore, it takes two parts of fresh trunk bark 

 to make one part of dry, and three parts of twig bark or green 

 leaves to make one of dry. The above sample of twig and 

 small branch bark yielded 7'06 per cent of gutta percha, and 

 the leaves 832 per cent. The assays of the trunk bark have 

 shewn that the amount of gutta varies from 10 to 14 per cent. 



In any proposal to cultivate gutta yielding trees, the ex- 

 traction of the gum from every part of them should be con- 

 sidered, and that contained in the leaves and twigs and small 

 branches might be utilised, as well as that from the trunk and 

 large branches. It is also quite possible that trees might be 

 shaved or stripped of their bark in the same way as is the 

 practice with cinchona trees, and thus another source of supply 

 provided. 



In this connection the following extracts from an article in 

 the "Pharmaceutical Journal" of June 29th, 1895, on the Annual 

 Report of the Botanical Gardens at Buitenzorg, gives some 

 iiseful information: — "Some interesting experiments made on 

 the leaves of some gutta percha plants, viz., Palaqiiinm borneenses 

 and P. gutta shewed that the young leaves yielded respectively 

 6'5 and 5' 7 per cent of pure white gutta, the mature leaves 



8 



