March 1, 1864.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



ON MALABAR CARDAMOMS. 369 



when you do not limit yourself to taking several times the specific 

 weight of the same part of a tree, but extend the experiment to 

 other parts and other individuals of the same sort of wood developed in 

 a different locality. Whatever be the method adopted to determine the 

 specific weight, the numbers obtained have nothing absolute ; they are 

 averages coming more or less near the truth, according to the circum- 

 stances taken into consideration which may influence the results. It is 

 right to be suspicious if the experimenter has not taken the trouble to 

 indicate the age of the tree and of the branch, the season in which it 

 was cut, the nature of the soil, its exposition, mode of culture, of drain- 

 age, &c. 



The means at my disposal did not allow me to conduct the experi- 

 ments with the rigour I could have desired, and with the intention of 

 repeating them, if possible, I begin with giving the stated results for 

 what they are worth, as an essay made with the object of adding some- 

 thing more to our knowledge on th ese matters. 



A part of the woods named in this list are in the Museum of Con- 

 struction of the South Kensington Museum, the others will be found in 

 the Conservatoire Imperial des Arts et Metres at Paris. I had desired 

 to examine and experimentalize upon some of the large collection of 

 woods forwarded to the International Exhibition by the British Colonies, 

 but I regret to say that I received a refusal from all the Commission- 

 >rs in charge to whom I applied.* With a polite courtesy I received, 

 mwever, such natural products as I required, to investigate their appli- 

 ation for the purposes of dying or tanning, from the Commissioners for 

 Spain, Netherlands-India, the French colonies, &c. 



Technical Institute, Turin. 



ON MALABAR CARDAMOMS. 



BY THE EDITOR. 



The fruit of the Elettaria cardamomum, Maton, constitute the true, 

 mall, officinal Malabar cardamoms. It is an ovate, oblong, obtusely- 

 riangular capsule, coriaceous, ribbed, greyish or brownish yellow. It 

 ontains many angular, blackish or reddish-brown rugose seeds, which 

 re white internally, have a pleasant, aromatic odour, and a pungent, 

 agreeable taste. 



One hundred parts of the fruit yield 74 parts of seeds and 26 parts of 



* This refusal arose, no doubt, from the bulk of the Colonial collections of 

 woods having been promised to Sir W. J. Hooker for the Economic Museum, Kew 

 Gardens. — Editor. 



