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known by the brittleness of the shell. The shells broken away 

 and the contents of the pod placed in layers in a cask and boiling 

 syrup poured over them, when cool they cask is closed and ready 

 for export. Sometimes layers of sugar are placed between the 

 layers of fruit. East Indian tamarinds are often merely shelled and 

 pressed together without sugar. 



Detarium senegalense. An African tree with an edible drupe 

 and Castanospemum australe. The Australian Chestnut have both 

 been in cultivation in Singapore for many years but have never 

 fruited. 



Parkin speciosa. Hassk. " Petai " is a very tall tree with feathery 

 foliage and balls of yellowish flowers hanging on long peduncles, 

 succeeded by thin green pods. They are not fit for Europeans as 

 they have, a very unpleasant odor which they transfer to the eater, 

 but they are in much demand by Malays who pay a cent or more 

 for a pod, and cook and eat them with curry. 



The Jering fruit, Pithecolobium lobatum, is a very common tree, 

 the seeds of which are boiled with wood ashes two or three times 

 on successive days and eaten by Malays and are said to taste like 

 chestnuts. They also have a nauseous odor which they transfer to 

 the eater, and are also liable to produce various ailments. The 

 tree is so common in and round villages and waste ground, that it 

 is not worth planting even for Malays, but the Petai is compara- 

 tively scarce and as the Malays are prepared to give a good price 

 for the crop, may be worth while planting, for sale or lease to them. 



Gayam. Inocarpus edulis, the Otaheite Chestnut, is a small tree 

 with large dark green shining leaves and yellow flowers. It pro- 

 duces an oblong flattened pod, containing a large flattened seed, 

 This when. boiled, the pod being previously split, tastes like a chest- 

 nut, and is quite worth eating. It is a native of Christmas Island 

 and the Polynesian Islands. It grows well and fruits readily in 

 Singapore. 



H. N. RIDLEY. 



