Sept.  2,  1895.]  Supplement  to  the  “ Tropical  Agriculturist.'’ 
217 
cally  the  whole  of  the  gamboge  of  commerce  is 
obtained.  It  is  said  to  be  a j)owerful  cathartic 
medicine,  but  its  principal  use  is  as  a pigment  in 
water-colour  painting.  It  is  also  used  to  give 
colour  to  lacquer  varnish,  for  brass  work  &c. 
The  following  reference  to  the  gamboge  tree  of 
Siam  is  from  a report  on  the  trade  of  Siam  for 
1893,  extracts  from  which  appear  in  J une-J nly 
number  of  the  Kew  Bulletin  : “ The  trees  grow  to 
a height  of  50  feet,  and  are  straight  stems  with 
no  lower  branches,  owing  probably  to  the  dense 
shade  of  the  forest  in  which  they  grow.  None  of 
those  I saw  had  a diameter  of  more  than  12  inches. 
Ten  year’s  growth  is  said  to  be  required  before 
the  tree  is  ready  for  tapping.  This  is  carried  on 
by  the  Cambodian  and  Siame.se  Islanders  during 
the  rainy  months — from  June  to  October — wlien 
the  sap  is  vigorous,  by  cutting  a spiral  line  round 
the  trunk  from  a height  of  some  10  feet  down- 
wards to  the  ground.  Down  these  grooves  the 
resin  wells  out  of  the  bark  and  trickles  in  a 
viscous  stream  into  hollow  bamboos  placed  at  the 
base  of  the  tree,  and  from  there  it  is  decanted  into 
smaller  bamboos,  where  it  is  left  for  about  a 
month  to  solidify.  To  remove  the  gamboge  the 
bamboo  is  placed  over  a red-hot  fire,  and  the 
bamboo  husk  cracking,  there  is  left  the  article 
left  as  pipe  gamboge.  The  trees  can  be  tapped 
twm  or  three  times  during  the  season  . . . Care 
must  be  taken  to  prevent  rainwater  mixing  with 
the  resin  in  the  grooves.”  The  hidian  Agricultur- 
ist of  August  1st  makes  the  following  reference  to 
gamboge  : — 
As  to  gamboge,  so  far  as  is  known,  two  trees 
are  to  be  met  with  in  India  which  yield  this  drug. 
The  Garcinia  pictoria  is  found  in  the  high 
mountain  lands  of  the  Wynaad,  but  attempts  to 
cultivate  it  in  the  low  country  are  said  to  have 
failed.  A good  kind  of  gamboge  is  extracted  from 
this  tree.  The  bark,  according  to  Dr.  Eoxburgh, 
is  sj)Otted  with  many  yellow  specks,  and  contains 
considerable  masses  of  gamboge  inside.  Samples 
sent  to  him  he  considered  superior  to  most  other 
kinds.  This  tree  is  to  be  found  in  the  greatest 
abundance  along  the  whole  line  of  the  Gh&ts, 
and  its  produce  would  in  time  become  an  import- 
ant article  of  export.  The  seeds  yield  an  oil  which 
is  not  purgative,  like  the  gamboge  resin.  It  has 
been  said  on  high  authority  that  “ it  is  probable 
this  gamboge  might  advantageously  be  applied  to 
any  use  to  which  the  gamboge  of  Siam  is  habi- 
tually put.”  The  other  Indian  tree  which  yields  a 
substance  like  gamboge  is  the  Xanthochymus  pic- 
torius.  It  bears  fine  yellow  fruit,  like  an  orange, 
whicli  is  eaten  by  the  natives,  who  find  it  very 
palatable.  The  fruit,  when  full-grown,  but  not 
ripe,  yields  a quantity  of  yellow  resinous  acrid 
gum  like  gamboge,  of  the  consistence  of  a rich 
cream. 
Benzoin — known  also  as  gum  Benjamin  in  Eng- 
lish commerce — is  a green  resin  obtained  from  the 
bark  of  trees  in  Sumatra  and  Siam.  Benzoin  is 
used  as  a stimulant  and  expectorant  in  chronic 
bronchists,  is  one  of  the  principal  ingredients  in 
Friar’s  Balsam,  and  is  largely"  used  for  incense. 
White  Sumatra  benzoin  is  known  to  be  yielded  by 
‘^tyra.T  benzoin,  it  is  curious  that  the  true  character 
of  the  tree  yielding  Siam  benzoin  remains  a mys- 
tery still,  in  siiite  of  private  and  oificial  efforts  to 
to  clear  up  the  matter.  A report  on  the  trade  of 
Siam  of  1893,  referring  to  gnm  Benjamin,  states 
that  the  whole  of  the  Bangkok  export  goes  to  the 
London  market,  and  thence  to  France  and  Belgium 
to  be  manipulated  into  balsam,  a small  quantity 
being  used  locally  for  frankincense.  Prices  in 
1893  are  reported  as  b.id,  the  first-class  gum  fetch- 
ing about  £l6operton,  the  second-class  about  £10 
per  ton. 
It  is  not  generally  known,  remarks  the  Indian 
Agriculturist,  that  the  Tertninalia  angustifolia  is 
a tree  which  produces  a variety  of  benzoin.  It  is 
obtained  by  wounding  the  tree,  and  is  composed 
of  large  whitf'  and  light  brown  pieces  easily  broken 
between  the  hands.  When  gently  dried  it  forms 
a white  powder  formerly  in  great  request  as  a 
cosmetic.  It  has  a mo.st  agreeable  smell.  But 
the  most  striking  ingredient  of  this  resin  is 
benzoic  acid.  In  the  churches  in  the  Mauritius 
this  be  nzoin  was  formerly  used  as  incense. 
^ 
A NEW  FEUIT  TREE. 
Under  this  heading  the  Australian  Tropical- 
turist  refers  to  a well-known  Ceylon  tree  known 
by  the  native  name  of  hxmaranga,  and  incidently 
also  makes  mention  of  another  fruit  tree,  common 
in  gardens  and  much  used  as  an  acid  in  Eastern 
cookery,  viz.,  the  biling.  Verily,  we  do  not  appre- 
ciate our  Ceylon  fruit  sufficiently  and  it  yet  may 
happen  that  we  will  find  ourselves  purchasing  tins 
of  kamaranga  and  biling  jam  exported  from  the 
southern  continent ! The  following  is  the  notice 
referred  to  : — 
For  although  known  to  experts  for  a number 
of  years,  the  Averrhoa-Carambola  maj-  be  classed 
as  a new  fruit  tree,  being  almost  unknown  to  the 
general  public.  AVe  have  tasted  the  fruit  when 
ripe  and  when  unripe.  In  its  unripe  state  it  is 
too  sour  and  unpalatable  'for  any  use  we  know 
of.  In  its  ripe  state — but  it  must  be  quite  ripe — 
we  think  it  very  good  indeed.  It  has  the  taste 
of  a plum  not  quite  ripe.  The  fruit  we  saw  was 
exhibited  by  Messrs.  L.  Summerlin  and  Company, 
and  came  from  the  garden  of  Mr.  AF.  H.  Day, 
Kedron  Brook.  AVe  thought  this  tree  the  only 
one  in  the  district,  but  we  have  since  discovered 
several  others  in  the  Acclimatisation  Society’s 
Gardens,  Bowen  Park,  from  whence  Mr.  Day 
received  his  plant  some  16  years  ago.  The  Accli- 
matisation Society  introduced  the  Averrhoa- 
Carambola  or  bitter  Averrhoa,  and  the  sweet 
variety  or  Averrhoa-bilimba,  from  China,  but  it 
has  never  become  a favourite,  so  has  beeti  almost 
neglected.  There  is  a fine  tree  at  Bundaberg  and 
some  others  on  the  Daintree  River.  From  the 
mere  tasting  of  the  ripe  fruit  we  were  of  the 
belief  that  it  would  make  good  jam  and  jellj". 
Our  opinion  has  been  confirmed,  as  we  have  been 
informed  that  Mrs.  Soutter  has  made  jelly  of  the 
fruit  this  present  season,  which  Mr.  Soutter 
pronounces  to  be  “ lovely,”  and  “ far  before  that 
of  rosella.”  It  would  make  splendidly  into  tarts. 
Its  acidity,  we  believe,  would  act  as  a tonic  and 
appetiser.  The  tree  grows  to  a large  size,  some 
si.xteen  to  twenty  feet  iu  height,  and  resembles 
the  willow  in  form,  the  fruit  hanging  on  long 
racimes  which  are  drooped  gracefully  amongst  the 
foliage.  It  yields  all  the  year  round  and  is 
always  in  bloom.  The  crop  is  said  to  be  a heavy 
one.  The  fruit  is  oblong  in  shape,  resembling  in 
size  and  colour  the  sugar  banana,  but  instead  of 
being  round  like  that  well-known  fruit,  is  ridged 
or  furrowed  with  fine-pointed  ribs  running  longi- 
