Nov.  1,  1895.]  SuppUmmt  to  the  ^'Tropical  ArjriouUu'ti^C 
1^7 
products  of  the  tree  are  “dark  catechu”  or  the 
commercial  Cutch,  “ pale  cutch  ” or  Katti  (iden- 
tical with  the  “ kaipoo  ” used  by  the  Sinhalese 
to  chew  with  betel,  lime,  tobacco,  and  areca), 
and  kirsal  or  khersul,  a resinous  product  of 
great  value  found  imbedded  in  the  wood.  The 
following  is  an  account  of  the  metliod  of  pre- 
paring “ dark  catechu  ” or  the  commercial  Cutch, 
the  valuable  tan  in  India  and  Bunnah.  (Query? 
Have  the  Cutch  Company  the  “ Rat-lvihiri  ” 
trees  among  those  to  be  operated  on  ?) 
The  trees  that  yield  this  substance  are  regarded 
as  mature  when  about  a foot  in  diameter. 
They  are  then  felled  and  cut  up  into  blocks 
two  or  three  feet  long.  In  some  parts  of  the 
country  the  Natives  ascertain  wdiether  it  will 
pay  to  cut  the  trees,  by  making  a small  notch 
into  the  heart-wood.  Trees  between  twenty-five 
and  thirty  years  old  are  regarded  as  best 
suited  and  are  said  to  yield  more  or  leas  ac- 
cording to  the  number  of  white  lines  perceived 
in  the  heart-wood.  The  bark  and  the  outer 
sap  wood  are  generally  removed  and  rejected. 
The  red  heart-wmod  is  then  cut  into  small 
chips.  In  certain  districts  the  branches  are  not 
utilized  in  the  preparation  of  the  e.vtract,  in 
others  they  are  so  used.  The  chips  are  then 
boiled  in  water  in  earthen  pots  for  twelve  hours. 
When  the  water  is  reduced  by  one-half,  the 
chips  are  taken  out  and  the  liquid  placed  in 
large  iron  pans  or  cauldrons  and  again  boiled 
and  stirred  till  it  attains  the  consistence  of 
syrup.  The  cauldrons  are  thefi  taken  off  the 
fire  and  the  stirring  of  the  liquid  continued 
till  the  mass  is  cool  enough  to  be  moulded, 
wdien  it  is  taken  out  and  spread  on  leaves 
arranged  within  a frame  or  mould  and  left  for 
the  night.  In  the  morning  the  Cutch  is  dry  and 
then  exists  as  brick-like  masses  that  each  weigh 
.86  to  44  lb.  These  are  broken  up  into  pieces 
ready  for  the  market.  The  process  of  boiling 
and  preparation  of  the  dry  extract  varies  con- 
siderably all  over  the  region  where  the  article 
is  made,  but  the  principle  is  the  same  as  that 
given  above,  which  may  be  said  to  be  tlie 
Pegu  system.  Occasionally  the  chips  are  boiled 
a second  time  with  the  production  of  a small 
amount  of  inferior  stuff.  In  other  cases  the 
red  liquid  is  poured  over  fresh  chips  and  again 
boiled. 
From  the  widespread  conviction  of  the  neces- 
sity for  stirring  or  beating  the  concentrated 
solution  (on  its  being  removed  from  the  fire), 
it  might  almost  be  inferred  that  sone  chemical 
change  was  thereby  effected  similar  to  the  oxi- 
dation produced  by  beating  the  indigo-vat  solu- 
tion. Thus  for  example,  in  Baroda  the  decoction 
is  strained  through  a blanket.  For  this  purpose 
the  blanket  is  dipped  into  the  fluid,  stirred 
about  and  then  wrung  out,  while  the  blanket 
is  being  held  at  as  great  a height  as  possibel. 
By  this  process  the  liquid  falls  through  the  air 
in'  a greatly  divided  stream  or  shower,  and  this 
is  continued  for  an  hour  or  so,  the  liquid  being 
repeatedly  wrung  through  the  bla'iiket,  the  trough 
is  then  covered  over  with  a lid  of  split  bamboos 
and  the  sediment  allowed  to  subside.  The  w.-iter 
is  then  poured  off  and  the  extract  cut  into  small 
cakes  and  allowed  to  dry.  In  Bariya  (Guzerat) 
the  thick  decoction  is  poured  into  pits,  five  or 
six  feet  deep,  in  the  bottom  of  which  baskets 
are  placed.  The  liquid  drains  off,  the  chips  are 
retained  in  the  baskets  and  the  solid  extract 
formed  on  the  floor  of  the  pits.  This  is  removed 
and  dried  on  leaves  while  expo.«ed  to  the  sun. 
Speaking  of  the  Pegu  system,  it  is  admitted 
that  much  difference  of  opinion  prevails  as  to 
the  value  and  extent  necessary  of  the  heating 
process.  One  writer  says  it  is  more  of  a “beating 
up  ” than  “ stirring,  ” but  I have  never  been  able 
to  ascertain  what  the  object  or  effect  of  the  pro- 
cess is.  Cooks  differ,  to,  in  the  amount  of 
beating  up  that  is  desirable,  some  being  satisfied 
with  half  an  hour’s  application.  It  will  be  seen 
below  in  connection  with  the  subject  of  Kath 
that  a peculiar  system  of  encouraging  crystal- 
lization (which  may  be  analogous  to  the  beating) 
is  considered  essential. 
In  Pegu  the  manufacture  of  this  article  extends 
from  June  to  March,  but  the  months  of  December 
to  March  are  regarded  as  the  best.  In  April 
and  May  scarcity  of  woxter  is  supposed  to  stop 
the  works,  while  in  the  rainy  season  the  difficulty 
of  transport  checks  the  industry. 
As  to  the  amount  of  Cutch  yielded  by  heart- 
wood,  it  had  been  stated  that  from  3 to  10  per 
cent,  in  weight  would  be  a good  average.  In 
other  words,  one  ton  of  timber  in  the  round 
might  be  taken  as  yielding  250  to  300  lb.  of  Cutch. 
The  Cutch  trade  appears  in , several  forms. 
The  Pegu  variety  occurs  in  masses  with  layers 
of  leaves  between  the  successive  preparations. 
But  Cute:;  is  also  met  with  in  cubes  of  various 
sizes  which  often  show  the  markings  ofjeaves  used 
in  the  moulds,  or  it  occurs  in  sharply-defined  cubes 
or  blocks  from  having  been  cut  up  by  a string  or 
wire  run  through  the  still  plastic  mass.  In  other 
cases  it  is  sold  in  rounded  balls  or  flattened  cakes 
made  in  the  hand. 
In  colour  it  is  externally  of  a rusty  brown,  in- 
ternally a dirty  orange  to  dark  liver-colour,  and  in 
some  cases  almost  black  or  port-wdne  coloured.  It 
is  inodorous,  but  has  an  astringent  bitter  taste, 
followed  by  a sense  of  sweetness.  It  is  brittle  and 
breaks  with  a more  or  less  resinous  shining  fractrue. 
CEYLON  WOODS. 
( Continued  from  September  issne.) 
56  Samydaceae. 
126  Homalium  zeylanicnm.  Liyan. 
57  Cornacem. 
127  Alungium  laniarkii. 
128  Mastixia  tetrandra.  Diya-taliya. 
67  Kubiaceu'. 
12!)  Sarcooepbalas  cordatns  Bak-mi. 
180  Adina  cordifoHa.  Kolon. 
181  Stejdiegyne  parvillora.  Helamba. 
132  Wendlandia  notoniana.  Ituw.an-idala. 
188  ,,  zeylanic.a.  do 
134  Gardenia  latiLdia.  Galis. 
185  Canthium  didymum.  Porawa-mara,  Gal- 
karanda. 
136  Ixora  jiarviflora.  Malia-ratambala. 
137  Morinda  tinturia.  Ahn. 
74  Vacciniaceu'. 
138  Vacednium  leschenanltii. 
79  Sapotacem. 
139  Chrysophyllhm  Koxbnrghii.  Lawuln. 
140  Isonandra  wightiana.  Kiriwarala. 
141  Dichopsis  petiolaris. 
142  „ grandis.  Kiri-hembiliya,  Kiri- 
hiriya,  Mihiriya. 
143  Bas,sia  longifolia.  Mi. 
144  ,,  neriifolia.  Gan-ini, 
