IMPURITIES IN INDIA GUM. 59 



Possibly it may be best obtained by tapping the roots of the 

 trees, which it is inferred may be done from the spontaneous 

 flowing of the virgin gum from the trees which are not tapped. 

 In countries where it is obtained by allowing the sap to flow 

 down the side of the tree, the loose bark should be scraped from 

 the tree. When the trees are abundant, and the branches are 

 easily accessible, (as is said to be the case with some species of 

 the tree,) the branches may be chopped oft", and the gum drawn 

 on hides, or into ceroons, or sacks made of hides. 



As the gum is not injured by salt water, it requires no protec- 

 tion from it, and when it is most convenient, may as well be im- 

 ported in ballast, as in any other way. It is sometimes imported 

 thus from India. There is no danger of loss any where, under 

 any circumstances, from spontaneous decomposition. In this 

 respect, gum elastic is imperishable in its nature, and not subject 

 to decay, like some other vegetable substances. 



To coticlude this important part of the subject, I repeat that 

 it is only necessary to guard against two things, namely, the 

 intermixing of foreign substances with the gum, and exposure 

 to the sun. When it has been exposed to the sun for a long 

 time, that part which is damaged may always be known by its 

 melted and soft state, and where the masses are larger, as those 

 from India sometimes are of a ton weight or more, the effect of 

 the sun, or weather, will not extend so far beneath the surface as 

 to cause much loss in the article, even if exposed a long time. 



The demand for native gum-elastic is becoming so great, and 

 increasing with such rapidity, that there is no occasion for the 

 Indian to delay the supply, by stopping to smoke it in layers of 

 one hundred in number, to the thickness of an inch, when 

 they may have enough to do to gather it with the least 

 possible trouble. Virgin gum, that which is found at the root 

 of trees which are not tapped, is always of the very best quality. 

 I would here remark that it will be important to the interests 

 of the countries, where the gum is gathered, as well as for those 

 engaged in its importation, to notice particularly the following 

 facts. In the early attempts to manufacture the gum in the 



1-3? 



