189 
Mn, Vicr-Consvy, Gornon to Royan GARDENS, Kew, 
British Vice-Consulate, Medellin (Colombia), 
Sir, 25th September, 1893 
TING under instructions dated 19th June 1893, from Her 
sty’s "Minister in Bogotá I have the honour to advis se, having 
rath s through the British Vice-Consul in Barranquilla, to your 
address one small box peatktivieis AGAR leaves, branches, and bark from 
the tree n here as i Comino,” as per statement enclosed. 
Of this Comino tree there are two kinds which are ope i in 
this sa y, or rather in this part of Colombia where there exists an 
insect called by the name of * Comejen," which perforates and destroys 
all kinds of wood, except the Comino. Of the two kinds of Comino, 
one is called “Comino liso,” or plain Comino ; the other is called here 
* Comino crespo, omino of a shaded appearance. — former is 
used for building Sus poses, the latter for veneering furnitur 
1 kinds are identical in so far as the tree is concern ned. The 
me. 
me that it is due to a disease in the tree, or in the roots of the tree, that 
makes the wood shaded or of a wavy appearance and most beautiful for 
veneering purposes. 
e plain Comino is found in abundance in the forests, but the 
* crespo " or fancy wood is rather scarce. 
I will be pleased to get any other information you may need. 
Iam, &c. 
'The Director, (Signed) WILLIAM GORDON. 
ew Gardens, London. à; 
CCCXCIV. TTD PRODUCTION OF CITRIC 
CID—( Continuation). 
he Kew Bulletin, 1894, pp. 103-108, an account was given of 
the artificial production of citric acid from a sugar solution by growing 
in it a fungus, one of the “moulds.” ‘Che discovery was regarded as of 
more en “theoreti interest, as it might affect t important cultural 
industries in the south of Europe and in the West Indies, where the 
lemon and lime wi largely grown for the production of citric 
acid from the juice of their fruits. The subsequent history of the dis- 
at p aiek to show “ that difficulties have been encountered which 
ust be overcome before — can be any real question of the com- 
ki i utilisation of the proce 
In a letter, dated the és May 1804, received from Dr. H. A. Alfo 
Nicholls, F.L.S., of Dominica, where the question of the artificial 
manufacture of citric sey is regarded with gr ma anxiety, the following 
opinion is quoted from Messrs. - YS hema Burbidges & Co., the weli- 
known wholesale pharmacists, of London 
* Artificial Citrie Acid.—We do not consider that you need be under 
the slightest apprehension ‘concerning this article. It has 
sad cert: ainly, but more as a scientific experiment, and, so far as we 
an judge, is not likely to become an item of commerce. 
fr that the discovery menaces the lime fruit industry at present ; and, 
A 
