Jwlv j, 1887.] tHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
expense of China tea, which it easily displaces, owing 
to its superiority ; while as regards China tea it can 
now only injure Indian by being imported at such a 
low cost as to undersell its rival, and this we under- 
stand, is not addmitted by the China merchants to 
be possible. — Indian Planters' Gazette. 
♦ 
FATS DEEIVED FROM SAPOTACEOUS 
PLANTS IN SUMATRA AND THE 
NEIGHBOURING ISLANDS. 
Among the specimens recently presented to the 
Museum of the Society are a series of the Sapotaceous 
plants yielding vegetable fats in Sumatra and Borneo, 
etc. Although the produce of several of these trees is 
well known in the East, and finds a ready market at 
Singapore, they are still almost unknown in this country. 
Several of the trees also yield guttapercha. Dr. Burck 
has given descriptions of the plants in his ' Mededeel- 
ingen uit 'slands Piantentuiu' (No. III., pp. 36-43), 
from which the following account is taken. The 
majority of them are species new to science. They 
are as follows: — 
1. Palaqiiium Ptsang, Burck. — " Foliis obovatis ellipt- 
icis, subtus aurto-nitentibus, costulis 12-11; petiolis 
1*5 to 2 per cent, aureo-pubescentibus." 
This tree grows to a height of 60 to 80 feet, and 
yields an inferior guttapercha which was formerly 
used to mix with gutta-soentei, but is not now collected. 
The seed is sub-globose, lh centimetres long, with a 
polished testa. It yields the fat called " Balam." 
2. Palaqnium oleosum, Burck. — " Foliis obovato-ellipt- 
icis vol elliptico-lanceolatis subtus aureo-pubescent- 
ibus; costulis 20-22 teueris promiuulis.'' 
The fat is distinguished by the name of Soentei fat. 
It is a somewhat smaller tree than the last, attaining 
a height of only 50 to 60 feet, but it yields a valuable 
timber of a reddish colour, that of P. Pisanc/ being 
white and not durable. The seed is 3 centimetres 
long, and two broad, with a large hilum covering the 
greater part of the seed. Both the trees grow in 
Sumatra in damp bushy places near the coast, at an 
elevation very little above the level of the sea. 
The seeds of both species are sometimes eaten in 
times of scarcity, but the greatest part is exported 
to Singapore, the collection forming no inconsiderable 
source of income to the natives, as may be gathered 
from the fact that between November 1884, and 
March 18&5, no less than GOO kojangs* of Balam 
and Soentei kernels were exported from Sumatra, 
the former being valued at 80 to 100 dollars per 
kojang, and the latter 60 to 73 dollars, the price 
sometimes rising to 120 and 100 dollars respectively. 
The Balam fat is of a yellowish colour, and has a 
slightly bitter taste; it is as pliable as wax. It is 
used in sugar refining, artificial flower making and 
in the preparation of tapioca, being employed to grease 
the pans (heated to 300°) iu which the tapioca is 
dried. By far the greatest quantity, however, is ex- 
ported to Europe via Singapore. 
The Soentei fat is of a pure white-colour, has a 
sweetish taste, and is used by the natives for cooking 
purposes. By the rough process of extraction used a 
good deal of the fat is lett behind, so that 34 to 36 
per cent, only of Balam, and 28 to 30 of Soentei fat 
is obtained. By the European method employed at 
Singapore, probably 45 per cent, could be obtained 
from the balam, and 37 from the soentei fruits. The 
price varies from 7 to 15 dollars per picul in the 
Europeau market. The industry is probably capable 
of considerable extension, since the trees will most 
likely be found in districts where the value of the 
fat is not krjown at present. Both the Balam and 
Soentei fats are known at Singapore as the vegetable 
tallow of Siak. 
3. Palaquivm nhlcmgifoliuw, Burck f (Dichopsis oblmigi- 
* At Singapore a kojang consists of 40 piculs (of 
■ lbs I, n l in various parts of the Dutch East 
Indies from 27 to 30 piculs. 
1 B '■ " Snpolacees des Indes Neerland&iseB," in 
Ann. du .1 ,rd. Bot. de Buitenzorg,' vol. v., p. 25, 
tab 5 
folia, Burck, ' Rapport Gutta Percha,' 1884, p. 21).— 
"Folia petiolata oblonga v. lanceolata oblonga, louge 
acuminata, nervis lateralibus 20-30 utrinque in folii 
substantiam immersis." 
The tree is found in Borneo, Sumatra, Riouw and 
Malacca. According to Mynheer Toorop the fat is 
prized in the Sambas province more than any other 
fat for cooking purposes, and is even used as butter. 
It is prepared almost exclusively for home use, 
and consequently is not quoted in the Singapore trade 
reports. 
This tree is considered by Dr. Burck to be distinct 
in the form of the leav s and the size and form of 
the flowers from P. Gutta, the species from which 
guttapercha was originally obtained, and which, 
with the exception of a tree cultivated at Singapore, 
and those cultivated in Java, is believed by Dr. 
Burck to be now extinct, at least in a wild state 
(Annates, I. c, p. 69). 
According to Dr. D. de Loos, * it ia a hard white 
fat consisting principally of stearin and olein, and 
should be very valuable for the preparation of stearin 
candles. This tree in Borneo, Sumatra and Riouw is 
the source of the best gutta-percha, and is now planted 
by the Dutch Government on this account in the 
Tjitjoeroeg district. It should receive attention at 
the hands of the British Government, since not only 
does it yield the best known guttapercha and a valuable 
fat from the seeds, but also useful timber. 
4. Payena lancifolia, Burck.— " Foliis longiter pitio- 
latis e basi acuto-lanceolatis acuminatis, 1-H pedaliis, 
supra glabris, subtus aureo-niteutibus." 
The tree grows in marshy land, especially on the 
banks of the smaller rivers, and the fat is used iu 
the Sintang province of N. Borneo in the same manner 
as that of P. oblongifolium in the Sambas district. 
The fat at the ordinary temperature of the tropics 
is a clear fluid, and for kitchen purposes it is not so 
much esteemed as the Tangkawang fat. It is called 
by the natives "Kelakki " fat ; it is not as yet exported. 
The wood of the tree is used for making oars. 
5. Payena (?) multiliiwata, Burck.—" Foliis lanceolatis 
longiter'-acuminatis glabris, subtus^ pallidis costulis 
subtilibus densissimis plusquam 60." _ 
This tree grows in the same district as the last, 
and yields an inferior fat, which is only used for 
lighting purposes. Neither flowers nor fruit have yet 
been seen, and the tree is therefore referred doubt- 
fully to the genus Pai/ena. The native name for the 
tree is " Belaban " or " Melaban." 
6. Fai/ena Bankensis, Burck.—" Folia e basi acuta 
v. suba'cuta lanceolata, acute acuminata vel apice 
rotundata glabra, subtus pallida fuscescentia, nervis 
secundariis circiter 30 utrinque prope marginem 
arcuatim unitis pertensa ('Ann. du Jardin Bot. de 
Buitenzorg,' vol. v., p. 541. 
The fat of this tree is at the usual temperature 
in Java a thick fluid ; according to Dr. D. de Loos 
lloc cit., p. 9) it agrees in colour and purity with 
almond oil, and is usually toft, and light green in 
colour. In Sambas province the fat is known as 
" Tengkawaug saugai," but in Banka as " Ketiauw" 
oil. It does not appear to be exported. The treo 
affords a guttapercha of inferior quality, known as 
gutta katijau or ketiauw. 
7. Payena latifolia, Burck (I.e., p. 58, t. ix).— 
" Folia e basi acuta ovalia acuminata, nervis secundariis 
prominulis circiter 20 utrinque. Florum fasciculi 
axillares multiflori." . 
This tree is a native of Bilhton and hiouw ; it 
yields an oil called .Vinjak Bengkoe." The oil, accordii r 
to Dr. D. de Loos, is clear, of a yellow colour ud 
a pleasant taste. It has an odour of bitter almonds, 
and at 4 0 is perfectly solid. It is insoluble in 
alcohol but miscible with fats; is soluble in ben sol, 
and is not a drying oil. In Riouw Archipelago it 1* 
used in the preparation of pastry (XtitiutAlinditf 
Tiidsehrift v. Jfeaerlandisch Indie, 1862, pt. xxiv., 
p.' 481). ' 
• ' Bescbrijvende Catalogus van bet Kolonial 
Museum iS Haarlem,' vol. ii., pt. i., p. 10, 18S4 
