OcTobek i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
269 
THE EAST INDIA ASSOCIATION : 
the commercial products of assam. 
By 0. Wevnton. 
QaApat— generally called caiaputer— the Melaleuca ca- 
jeniili of Roxburgh, is a small tree with a twisted, 
crooked stern scattered branches with a drooping tend- 
ency, similar to the weeping willow. It is rather sparsely 
distributed throughout the province— chiefly at the 
entrance of ravines, but to avoid an expensive search, 
may be procured either from Dacca, in Goalpara, under 
the Tipperah Hdh near the station of Oomilla, Jaintia- 
pur, and, in fact, almost any locality where ruined 
temples abound, as in such places, in days gone by, it 
was carefully loeked after, its medicinal properties be- 
ing well known to the priests and native practitioners 
though they seldom extracted the oil, but used the hot, 
bruised leaves as applications in sprains, bruises and 
rheumatism. The tree takes three years to reach 
maturity, but slips may be planted close together so as 
to form a nursery, and until planted out in the perman- 
ent situation destined for them, may be constantly 
cropped (according to judgment) in that conditio!), so 
that returns may be ha I in eighteen months from the 
time of laying clown the slips. The leaves are to be 
collected on a fine warm day, say from April to Sep- 
tember, lightly rolled to break the cells, then chopped 
up fine, macerated in water for twelve hours; strained 
and tho liquor distilled iu a glass or enamelled still. 
The result will be a pure limpid oil with a light green 
or bluish tinge and an odour quite distinct — the caiapu- 
ter oil of chemists. It is apt to discolour if exposed 
to light, and should therefore be packed as soon as con- 
venient, but, pending which, may be stored in large 
closely-covered earthern jars kept in a dry, dark place. 
There ib considerable local demand for this oil, not 
only among the native population of Assam, but iu 
both Munnipoor and Burmah, as also down country, 
and it is more than probable that the whole of one's 
out-turn, until it assumes largo dimensions, could be 
profitably disposed of within the country. Once es- 
tablished, tho cost of cultivation is but nominal, the 
preparation inexpensive, and the returns handsome. 
The plant may be grown on almost any soil above 
BWamp-mark and scattered about in any unused plots 
of the grouuds, placed in topes or groups sufficiently 
numerous to afford lent' for one day's systematic pluck- 
ing — not isolated treus stuck about here, there ami 
everywhere, necessitating an extensive roaming on the 
part of the gatherers. 
Cluttdmoogra — Qynocardia odorata, or the Ta-fung-yu 
of China, is a handsome tree supposed to be peculiar 
to the northern part of t lie Sylhet district — merely, I 
presume, as expressing the oil once formed one of the 
jail industries there; but it may be found iu all ravines 
in which the primeval forest remains intact, in either 
of the mountain ranges from Gowhatti to the Brahma 
Kboond, and from the Laor River to the Kbuboo 
Valley, as also in the deep semi-tropical forest gullies, 
in the Kbassia, Qarrow and N. Oachar hills. Were 
exploration safe, I have little doubt that it would be 
forthcoming in the northern ranges and Upper Burmah, 
at the expressed oil forms, under the name mentioned 
above, a large item of export from Liiehung in Western 
Chinn. Among the Chinese, Ta-fung-yu has for ages 
he. u regar led as a -p. cifiv in syphilitic anil kindred 
ili ~ « - . i>e-, being, when mixed with ground cinnabar, 
applied externally In the parts affected, the pure oil 
Uied tor injection; it possessed the property of dis- 
infection, mid drying without cruising obstruction or 
any unsightly cicatrice; wounds and ulcers treated 
with lt*clo*iog with an evenness that hardly leavi 1 11 
tr., ■ In-hind — Chinese medical men asserting that 
treatment with cbaulmoogra entirely prevents the 
NJppi r-coloiired statu peculiar to the site of wounds 
Caused i>\ the diseases alluded to. Whether the whole 
of the therapeutic properties claimed for it would stand 
all test*, experience must decide, but nil over the 
Bast, where ctltautoos maladies, from kprosy down, 
are *.i prevalent, unbounded faith in its virtues exists, 
and «o est. i nc . I isi- in Persia ami the countries ad- 
jacent, that either at Nhiniz or Itushire one rupee per 
ounce Is readily paid dv dealers from the int -rior for r 
The water tetter, or ringworm from which new-comers 
from Europe to Assam almost universally suffer, rapidly 
yields to the mixture of chaulmoogra and cinnabar, and 
though mercury in any form is specially dangerous to 
deal with in warm climates, I have never yet beard of 
the slightest symptom of salivation arising from the 
use of the combination. In China a 6-graih pill made 
from the seed is sometimes given, but with what object 
I am unable to say, as the smallest quantity induces 
nausea and vomiting. The blo3som appears in April 
and May, and the fruit, which takes the form of an 
oblong nut — not much dissimilar in shape to a Brazil 
nut — ripens towards the end of the rains, is smooth 
and of a greyish colour, yielding on cold pressure 10 
per cent of rather thick resinous oil. Although it 
bears in the fifth or sixth year, the tree attains tho 
size of a full-grown mango, so that wide planting is 
necessary, but beneath its shade other plants may be 
raised. The usual method of opening out the roots 
in March and heavily manuring with ash, stable dirt 
and pounded limestone will bring out a prodigious 
amount of blossom, but it is better not to resort to 
the practice yearly, until, at auy rate, the tenth or 
twelfth season ; every alternate year until then being 
as much forcing as the tree will bear with impunity. 
The cake, obtained as it is without heat to deprive it 
of all medicinal properties, may be ground into meal 
and used for poultices, being from its nauseating 
qualities unfitted for cattle feeding; although I have 
given it to pigs, who readily consumed it without any 
apparent deleterious effect. Chaulmoogra needs but 
an introduction iu sufficient quantities to create a 
considerable demand, and its being a native remedy 
has, I opine, been the chief cause of its neglect 
among professional men who are apt to condemn all 
such without unprejudicially first giving their reputed 
merits a fair trial. 
Di/itcrocarptu, or the tree that furnishes the Gurjait 
oil, or rather oily resin, is now difficult to find iu the 
more accessible parts of Assam, but, as the intending 
settler of the present day will most likely have to locate 
himself in the veritable backwoods, it is very probable 
that some of these highly valuable trees that have 
escaped the jungle roamer may be found in his con- 
cession. Auy native can point them out, but raising 
from seed, it must be borne in mind, must be un- 
dertaken iu the interests of posterity, for the tree- 
grows to a great altitude, geuerally shooting up to 
the height of forty feet ere throwing out branches. 
Those met with iu the forest fit for tappiog are pre- 
sumedly some forty to fifty years old, and of late 
years the gatherers have not only been conteut to 
tap the trees to death, but have in many cases actually 
felled them, trying out tho billets iu so ruthless a 
manner that pitiable wholesale destruction has been 
wrought ; still Gurjan is found, though one must go 
further afield for it, searching the hill ravines. It is 
very plentifully distributed iu the deep valleys of the 
Looshai hills, and reported by the inhabitants to 
abound far in the interior, the crude resin finding 
its way to the markets on the Chittagoug side of 
those hills; but a considerable number of untouched 
trees may bo noticed iu the valley of the Kop >li 
and also in the forest round about tho lirahmuk- 
hoond. These localities are merely referred to as 
seed-collecting centres, for to gather the sup from a 
tract of country so wide as that over which the 
dipterocarpus is distributed would prove not only too 
expensive) but might lead yourself and collector into 
dangerous places. The soeds ripen iu October, and 
should be sown as fresh as they can be procured— 
for they rapidly lose their germinating power. Raised 
in nurseries until tho wood is sufficiently matured 
to bear transplanting, the young saplings may bo 
placed out in the juuglo and left to nature, a record 
of the date and site of planting pigcon-bol> d for the 
benefit of future generations, as the planter of dipvr ■ 
carpus can hardly bopu himself to roup the bciufu 
of bis own plantings. II oue or more mature trc. - 
nro found 011 tho grant tho resin may be abstracted 
auy time from November to May in the following 
manner: — Oue. or more oblong perpendicular holes 
aro made at a couvctiitut distance from the grouuJ— 
