XI, A, 6 Gana: Some Philippine Tanbarks 265 



millimeters thick; it was brown with white and gray cuticle. 

 The inner surface was brown, brittle, and easily ground. 



Palo maria de la playa. — The bark of Calophyllum inophyllum 

 is suitable for tanning purposes. The species is more abundant 

 than camanchili, and the trees are larger. It is widely distrib- 

 uted in the Philippine Islands, occupying a prominent place in 

 the beach forests. The sample of bark taken at Pasay beach 

 was 15 millimeters thick. It was brown with a decided yellow 

 tinge and was divided into distinct ridges, many of which were 

 broken into irregular, rectangular plates by cross fissures; the 

 inner bark was pink or yellowish with concentric lines of a 

 darker color.^* 



Oak. — According to Mr. E. D. Merrill,^^ botanist, Bureau of 

 Science, there are about twenty-five species of Philippine oaks 

 which grow at high altitudes in the mountains. The sample 

 obtained by the Bureau of Forestry at Limay, Bataan, was 11 

 millimeters thick. The inner surface was dark red. The outer 

 surface was lightly grooved and covered with a thin gray 

 epidermis which contains no tannin. The bark is brittle and is 

 easy to grind. 



SUMMARY 



At present only mangrove and camanchili bark are used for 

 tanning in the Philippine Islands. A greater variety of barks 

 is needed. 



The Benguet pine and palo maria produce barks that can be 

 used on a commercial scale. The latter surpasses camanchili 

 in quality and availability. The barks of narra, pili, alibang- 

 bang, and oak were also studied. With the exception of the 

 last two barks, all produced a leather with full, firm texture 

 and good grain. 



" It has been pointed out by the Director of Forestry that while palo 

 maria is much more abundant than camanchili the trees are widely scat- 

 tered and the collection of bark from trees felled for lumber would be 

 difficult and expensive. (Editor.) 



" This Journal, Sec. C (1908), 3, 317. 



