FLOWERS AND FRUITS OF SCRIPTURE. 
Algum of Scripture — " The king made of the 
Algum trees terraces (pillars, 1 Kings x. 12) 
to the house of the Lord, and to the king's 
palace, and harps and psalteries for singers ; 
and there were none such seen before in the 
land of Judah." (2 Chron. ix. 11.) Sandal- 
wood, from its texture and agreeable odour 
when handled, is well calculated for making 
musical instruments. It is less used for such 
purposes in the present day, because being 
expensive and not very ornamental, its pecu- 
liar property, that of fragrance, is of little 
value, on account of the polish with which 
fashion requires that all instruments should 
now be covered. Though this does not 
amount top roof, yet probability, Dr. Royle 
thinks, is in favour of the Algum being 
Sandal- wood. — Garcl. Chron. 1843. 
Those who prefer the Deodar, concede that 
the question lies between it and the Sandal- 
wood : in our opinion the evidence is most 
strong in favour of the latter. Indeed the 
principal difficulty is the mention in one 
passage of Algum in connexion with cedars 
and firs <; out of Lebanon," which reading we 
have already seen is not supported by the 
parallel passage. 
Sandal-wood has long been famous in the 
East, where it is sometimes used as an in- 
cense. On account of its very agreeable and 
fragrant odour, it has been much employed 
in the construction of different articles which 
are much handled. Thus it is made into 
musical instruments and cabinets, for which it 
is valued, as no insect can exist, it is said, nor 
iron rust, within its influence. On account 
of its fragrant qualities, it is often fashioned 
into ladies' toilette boxes, and jewel cases. 
Shavings of the wood are not unfrequently 
used to make scent-bags for drawers. An oil 
is distilled from it, which is wonderfully strong 
and penetrating, and is much esteemed in 
Turkey at the present day ; this oil is said to 
be much used in the adulteration of the oil or 
otto of roses, with which it unites favourably. 
In India a preparation from this tree is esteemed 
by the native doctors as possessing sedative 
and cooling properties, and as a valuable 
medicine in gonorrhoea. 
The fragrant part of the tree is the heart- 
wood — 
" The Sandal tree perfumes, when riven, 
The axe that laid it low." 
The trees are usually felled when about nine 
inches in diameter, about two-thirds of which 
is white wood, nearly devoid of smell, and 
the remaining third more or less highly 
coloured and fragrant. The scent is said to 
be proportioned to the depth of colour. The 
lowest part of the stem next the roots is the 
best ; and the timber grown in rocky exposed 
localities is far preferable as regards its fra- 
grance to that produced in low rich situa- 
tions. 
The Indian Sandal-wood is produced \>y 
Santalum, album. This forms a small tree, 
having in a considerable degree the appear- 
ance of a myrtle, or as some say, the privet. 
Santalum album. 
It grows usually about twenty-five feet in 
height, with stiff brachiate branches ; these 
are furnished with opposite oblong-lanceolate 
smooth leaves, glaucous on the under surface, 
and about two inches in length. The flowers 
are small, and grow in terminal compound 
ei*ect, thyrse-like racemes ; they are small, at 
first straw-coloured, afterwards purplish, and 
succeeded by smooth juicy globular black 
berries, of the size of a large pea, which 
berries are greedily devoured by birds. 
There is a yellow Indian Sandal-wood, 
which is believed to be the product of the 
same tree as the white, and appears to be 
produced by the older and more highly 
coloured trees. The Sandal-wood of the 
Sandwich Islands is produced by Santahon 
paniculatum, and & Freyeinetianum. What 
is called red Sandal- wood is yielded by two 
kinds of tree quite distinct from the Santa- 
lums ; one, Pterocarpus 8a?iti/inus, the other 
Adenanthera pavonina ; the former one of the 
papilionaceous Leguminosas, the latter belong- 
ing to the section Mimosa? of the same great 
natural order of plants. 
