115 

 CHAPTER VIII. 



GUMS, KESINS, AND VARNISHES. 



In the matter of new products coming under either of 

 the above headings, there is but little to record as the dis- 

 covery of the period under review. The points of interest 

 connected with these substances lie more in the clearing up 

 of doubts relating to their botanical origin and their accu- 

 rate determination, as well as in their increased consumption 

 and imports. The former, however interesting though it 

 be, does not come within our scope, except where it bears 

 on the development of the substance from a commercial 

 point of view, or is instrumental in opening up new 

 sources of supply. Under these circumstances our notes 

 in this section will be necessarily limited. In passing, 

 however, it may perhaps be of some interest to note that of 

 Gum Arabic (which may be taken as the most important of 

 the true gums), the imports have increased from 25,289 cwts. 

 in 1839 to 75,399 cwts. in 1886, falling again in 1887 to 

 46,443 cwts., a decrease due to the disturbed state of the 

 Soudan, whence the best kind of gum is obtained, and 

 rising again in 1889 to 65,368 cwts. In consequence of 

 the Soudan war, however, higher prices have ruled the 

 market, and other gums have been brought into competition, 

 the most notable of which is that which appeared early in 

 1888, under the name of Brazilian Gum Arabic. In ap- 

 pearance it resembles the ordinary quality of Gum Arabic, 

 and is said to be derived from the Angico tree of Brazil, 

 which has been described as Acacia angico of Mart. It is 

 referred to in the Kew Bulletin, No. 17, for May, 1888, 

 but since then the plant has been proved to be Piptadenia 

 TTMcrocarpa, Benth. It may also be worth while pointing 

 out that the fragrant gum-resins, known as Balsams of Peru 

 i2 



