Gums, Renins, 



212 



[September, 1U08. 



THE TAPPING OF CULTIVATED 

 CASTILLOA. 



(Abstracted by R. H. Lock.) 



(Journal d' Agriculture Tropicale, May 

 1908, p. 142.) 



Whilst the area under Hevea has been 

 rapidly increasing in Indo-Malaya, Castil- 

 loa has been taking an important place 

 in the plantation of Mexico and Central 

 America, and it has also been tried in 

 several of the West Indian Islands. In 

 German West Africa, New Guinea and 

 Samoa this cultivation has been less 

 successful. 



The structure of the laticiferous tubes 

 of Castilloa renders necessary a different 

 method of tapping from that employed 

 in the case of Hevea, the former being 

 tapped much less frequently in order to 

 obtain the best results. 



Three tapping knives, specially de- 

 signed for the use with Castilloa, are des- 

 cribed in the present article, and two 

 of them are figured. A feature common 

 to all three is the U-shaped blade, dif- 

 fering in the three cases in radius of 

 the curve and angle of attachment to 

 the handle. 



The knives are the inventions of Dr. 

 Strunk, Dr. Preuss, and Mr. V. Smith, 

 a planter of Soconusco, respectively. 



With regard to systems of tapping it 

 is admitted that the ideal method has 

 not yet been evolved. In Mexico the 

 system adopted is to make 3 or 4 V cuts 

 on each tree. The limbs of the V do not 

 quite meet at the base, but a space of 

 two or three incites of bark is left intact 

 and two partial spirals are traced upon 

 the bark. The first V is made as near 

 the base of the trunk as possible, and 

 others at successive distances of two feet 

 above it. The trees are first tapped 

 when they have arrived at an age of six 

 or seven years and a circumference of 

 2 feet a yard from the ground. 



Various other methods, differing 

 slightly from the above are enumerated, 

 as well as several different modes of 

 collecting the latex; also estimates of 

 the yield, which are admittedly some- 

 what vague. 



CAMPHOR : NATURAL AND 

 SYNTHETIC. 



TP. A. Houseman in Science Progress 

 No. 9, July, 1908: Abstracted by J. C. 

 Willis.] 



The author is the chemist to the 

 British Camphor Co., and starts by 

 assuming that no cultivated camphor 

 need be considered, as it cannot yield 

 till 50 years old ! He then describes the 



process of preparation of synthetic 

 camphor, and ends, "Assuming a good 

 supply of turpentine at moderate price, 

 there is little doubt that synthetic cam- 

 phor, which is quite equal in all respects 

 to its Oriental rival, has a good future 

 before it, and will be able to compete 

 successfully with Japanese camphor."— 



BALATA. 



The exports of balata from Ciudad 

 Bolivar during 1907 amounted to 1,456 

 tons, valued at £224,414, against 1,232 

 tons, valued at £176,039., in 1906. Last 

 year the figures reached the highest 

 Total ever known in one year. The 

 prospects of this industry, however, are 

 not favourable for the future, as the 

 consequences of the fatal system of 

 felling the trees to obtain the gum are 

 now beginning to be felt as the more 

 accessible forests become exhausted. 

 The season for 1908 has also set in very 

 dry, and it is therefore probable that the 

 balata shipments during the current 

 year will show a decline. The Para and 

 Caura rubber shipments show an in- 

 crease for 1907. The system followed in 

 the Caura district for collecting rubber 

 includes also the felling of the trees. 

 Lately, regulations have been issued 

 by the Government forbidding this 

 practice. — Chemist and Druggist, No. 1, 

 475, Vol. LXXII., May, 1908. 



LAC-PRODUCTS IN INDIA. 



A recent number of the " Indian Trade 

 Journal " contains an article discussing 

 the possibility of manufacturing lac- 

 products in India, and suggests the 

 desirablity of an inquiry as to the faci- 

 lities that exist for the manufacture of 

 cheap spirit. It is pointed out that the 

 chief lac-bearing country is also the 

 country where the mahua-tree is abun- 

 dant, and the mahua-flower is as cheap 

 a spirit-base as any. Another possible 

 source of cheap spirit-supply is the wood- 

 spirit so largely made and used in 

 America, and it is suggested that the 

 manufacture of this might well be 

 combined with that of acetone, for 

 which there is a large demand at the 

 cordite-factory. A third possible source 

 might be found in the refuse of the 

 sugar-factories now being rapidly extend- 

 ed in Bengal and elsewhere, and it is 

 believed there is little doubt that India 

 could in a short time become self- 

 supplying in respect to industrial spirit, 

 and could carry the manufacture of lac- 

 products several stages further than is 

 done at present, with much profit to the 

 country. — Chemist and DruggisU No. 1. 

 475. Vol. LXXII., May, 1908- 



