January 2, i888.1 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
473 
purposes, are dismissed in a, few lines, and one must 
have recourse to the more complete and careful notice 
of these products of Guiana alforded by the pamphlet 
of Mr. Holmes of the Pharmaceutical Society. 
Perfumery is noticed by Dr. Paul, who reminds his 
readers that there are numerous raw materials in the 
AVest Indian colonies that might bo turned to useful ac- 
count for the manufacture of perfumi S. In this connect- 
ion, mention may be made of numerous essential oils 
available lor perfumery purposes. Plants yielding fra- 
grant oils are abundant, and there is a large field for their 
industrial application. A Mower farm and perfume 
factory are being attempted in Jamaica, and there 
aro other places, among them British (luiana, where 
this industry could bo carried out. 
There W< re no specimens of oils and fats from 
mai incur land animals exhibited by British Guiana. 
Mr. Leopold Field, the reporter in this section, men- 
tions that fish ami whale oil have fallen into disuse 
as lubricants,, being replaced by American, Scotch, and 
Russian bydror-carbon oils, just as kerosene and petro- 
leum have supplanted sperm and colza as illuminunts. 
British (luiana produces nothing in this way, and but 
three exhibits hpm the \\ r est Indies are mentioned. 
These wi re, a (hie specimen 6f porpoise oil well fitted to 
make soft soap, and some shark's oil and a small quan- 
tity of whale oil. Nut, seed and fruit oils, with the 
exception of coconut oil, are not produced in this 
colony. Coconut oil is used chielly in England for 
soap and night lights. In the manufacture of candles 
it has been superseded by aoidified palm oil. It gives 
a white and brilliant light, aud articles made from it 
are more cleanly and tempting than thoso made from 
other materials. 
Coconut oil is largely used in soap making, but con- 
siderable prejudice exists against it ou account of its 
rank and persistent odour. Its chief value appears to 
arise from the facility with which it can be adulterated. 
One of the tricks of the soap trade, it seems, is to 
crowd in silicate and carbonate of soda, sugar and water, 
and to hide any objectiuuable smell with mirbane aud 
om oii-grass. 
Tim British ( luiana coconut oil is described as very 
good and remarkably white, though slightly rancid 
and strong-suielling. These, Mr. Field says, aro 
"accidents of circumstance," aud ho is of opinion that 
there is no reason why Guiana should not vie with 
other colonies as an oil-producing country. 
Tim question is raised whether the kind of nut, and 
the method of cultivation may not have as much to do 
with Uiu colour and odour of the oil as the mode of 
extraction, or perhaps more. This, it seems, is the 
ca*o with palm oil. Mr. field mentions as au in- 
stance of the ellcct which dillYrenoe of soil will make 
in the quality of oil, tho cuse of lavender. English 
oil pi lavmdi.r produced at Mitoham, in Surrey, 
comm. unk more t ban six times the price of that trom 
all tho south of franco. The same, he says, is true 
ot rosemary and peppermint, and he suggests that the 
point whether a ditterent coconut or dilloreut soil bu 
repuired, is worth attention. 
Then is one nut, the Oaudle-nut, Ateurites triloba, 
which, produced in Fiji, Ceylon, and elsewhere, yields 
05 to Hi' |„ r ( . lit of 11. w. i.jlit i I This tree has 
been introduced into tome ol (be \\ est Indian Islands, 
and doubtless would grow well here. 
< 'iistor-oil in g,xn| a , n lulu ie mi tor heavy niaclunen , 
but will in time yield to pel roleuin ami shale oils. \[ 
baa a peculiar mid unique property, (lie-idea ita aperi- 
ent qualities) of being perfectly soluble in alcohol at 
ordinary temperatures, whieh causes it la be largely 
used ill tho in iniilai lure of Krilliant me and other hair 
dre sings, l or aonp making it ha, t speei.il value, an I 
is indispensable in the inallillai liii e of cheap (ran,, 
parent soaps. Mr. Field, who, by the way. is n nniker 
, ol SOapl Oil a large scale, and, innrei'ver, olio of our 
best practical cbeinets. while admitting Unit these 
! soaps cannot be i ee mimcmlc.l, a- an excess ,,| caustic 
M>da is require,!, .1,1, 1 ibat ll.e null ot the c».itoroii| 
bocoines apparent in a few weeks. *ayn thuir brilliant 
liiaire ami scouring properties povicss great attractions 
for natives. 1\ ilmps it » a « suuit- tiicb preparation 
that made the bishop of Wangaloo white, as is re- 
presented in certain illustrated advertisements. 
Mr. Pield goes on to fay that it is a matter of 
surprise that with coconuts and castor-oil seeds to be 
had almost for the picking, these soaps are not made 
in Ceylon and the West Indies, win re spirit is ea LI 
and cheaply obtained, where sugar (au important adul- 
terant) is plentiful, and where, above all, essentia] oil 
abound. We know that in Trinidad there is a io 
manutactory, but the qualities shewn were "po 
"posed of 'weak fats' and ' much resin '—of a da k 
"colour and alkaline, and indicating a large excess of 
"water in their original composition." These faults 
are of course avoidable. 
One oil was exhibited in the Jamaica Court which 
W highly extolled by Mr. Field. I refer to it, as 
the tree whence it is produced grows here easily, 
and is by no means uncommon. We know it as the 
horse-radish or seringah, but its bo'anical name is 
Monnga pteKygqqtgrm. Its seeds yield oil of Ben or 
Behen, described as an exquisite oil, and one which, 
though apparently devised by nature expressly fur 
the perfumer, seems to have been singularly neglected 
Mr. Piesse, in his "Art of Perfumery," is enthusiastic 
in its praise. It would be invaluable to the flower 
farmer, who by the process known as enfleurage, 
i.e., submitting blossoms to the action of oils or lard, 
extracts their perfume. It is also said to be the 
basis of macassar oil which is, or was, so fashionable. 
Beferring to enfleurage, the Jamaica Court shewed 
fine specimens of Tuberose and Jasmine pomades. 
Surely British Guiana could do likewise with Behep 
oil. These and other pomades and oils, for whieh 
the demand in England alone is enormous, could be 
manufactured here, and a profitable industry created. 
Mr. Field's remarks on this subject are worth laying 
to heart. "Why," be asks, "should not our own 
"colonies supply us? Why should all our citron, 
' bergamot, and orange oils come from Messina and 
Spain, when the West Indies can grow these fruits 
" in any quantity ?" 
Carapa or Crab oil, it appears, would be a fine 
and valuable oil but for its sickly and persistent 
odour. It proved impossible to get rid of this defect- 
blowing hot air through a pint of it for 24 hours 
was ineffectual. It is, however, easily saponified,* 
and the smell becomes similar to that of fresh cider. 
It has. on analjsis, been found to contain a bitter 
principlo named Carapin, to which no doubt its in- 
secticide properties are due. The association of its 
being used for this purpose might militate against its 
coming iuto general use, otherwise au acceptable 
pomade could be made from it by m r ;ans of dexterous 
perfuming. 
A considerable portion of Mr. Bolas's report on 
Gums, Kesins, Sic, is devoted to the Bjlata, or, 
as the writer prefers to call it, the gutta-percba of 
the Bullet-tree, and Gum Animi,— both products of this 
colony. His remarks have been already published in 
tho Argosy, and it would be most interesting if his 
Cantor Lecture, delivered in ISSO, on Iudian rubbers, 
were also communicated to the public of this colom , 
which possesses one or more of the most valuable gums 
known. Mr. Bolas evidently appreciates our II data. 
He believes it is of greater use and value than the 
average crude gutta-percha from other sources. I 
do not know how far he is justifie 1 in paying the 
people of the balata districts of this colony, the 
eompliiumt of attributing this superiority to their 
higher moral character. Mr. Bolns believes that high 
moral character in the workman ensures correspond- 
ing care to deal intelligently and honestly Willi the 
material, as well as abstention from adulteration and -o 
far hi • is no doubt th-'oretica II v right , Whether facl - be i r 
out his hj pothesis in the c .se of the habit i colli ct irs of 
this colony is, however, questionable, Mr. Jeuu u - 
favourable report on the social condition yf the 
people id the Haraearra district, h is so imp s- 1 \\ 
Uolas that ho c aims it ns supporting his view. ]: ■ 
this as it may, batata is evidently a ptodu • 
* A specimen of Urab-oil S ap, prepared In \| „ r ,. 
f ield and pn sen ted by Mr. Hawtayin , i- « v •!• 
m the Brilinh BuilM Museum — Kv. 
