688 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[March i, 1892. 
closed benzoin is sold at Java and is the true Palenibang 
Perhaps the Palembang benzoin in our Museum is 
old. If fresh it has the same colour as the Penang, 
and not that translucent appearance of the specimens 
you send me. It has quite tlie same colour and pale 
spots as your Penang. The piece of wood comes from 
Palenibang. 
“About the dragon's blood from Horneo I got the 
following information from the Kosident of Pontianak. 
“1. The cakes abont three inches wide, a quarter of 
an inch thick and throe iiichos long are not known at 
Pontianak. The Hesident believes it is uiade at Hinga- 
pore, and that from dragon’s blood coming from I’on- 
ianak. 
“ 2. The dragon's blood is brought in commerce in 
hree forms: — 
"Ca) in flat cakes from very different dimensions. 
“(Iij in small cakes from about three or seven 
inches long and one inch wide. 
“fej in long pipes. 
"The Resident had the kindness to send mo the 
fruits of the trees from which it is obtained, and these 
being of different size, it is evident that there are 
at least tliroo species of calamus whicli can be said 
to be the mother-plants of the dragon's-blood. 
“ The smallest fruits give the most dragon's blood. 
This is said to be beautiful rod of colour, but the tree 
is rare and the blood high in price. 
“ It only comes in very small quantities in com- 
merce under the name of Ujernang Mundsi. The 
pipes inclosed in the case ore from the fruits of 
greatest size. This is called Ujernang Koekoo. 
“ The third variety in flat cakes from thee by one 
inches is the Ujernang Heroewang. 
"The fruits ore of moderate size. For obtaining 
the powder the ripe fruits are shaken in a basket (as 
enclosed in the case). Mixed witli water the powder 
is pressed in moulds and tlien melted. 
“ To give it more weight it is nearly always mixed 
with the milky juice of Oti rciiiia /xirrijolw , Miq. 
“The Resident believes that all the cakes and pipes 
are so prepared except the specimen I c. which is said 
to be quite pure. I am indebted to Ur. \V. Hurck, 
Assistant-director and keeper of the Huilenzorg Her- 
barium and Mnsenni, for the infonnation contained in 
this letter. 
“ I remain, dear Sir, yours faithfully, Tui-uta. 
“ Director of the Government Botanic (lardons.’' 
Guhkiik. 
The specimens and information sent by Ur. 
Trenb indicate that the heboe cubchs presented to 
the Musenm some months ago is the fruit of the 
ToUmmriihe [cMia] nmllix>i!.inn, but that tlie largo 
blackish cubeb.-. with long stalks and the false 
cubebs generally referred to I’l/irr crunMpfx are 
probably not exported from Java but from else- 
where. 
lir.NZOIN. 
Tho specimen of Palemliang benzoin sent by Ur. 
Treub is scarcely a typical sample of the product as 
met with under that name in the Uondon market. 
It has lost the opalescent transluceuey on the outer 
surface, but has tho same lustrous fracture as 
Palembang benzoin, although darker in colour, as 
if it had been kept and exposed to the light for 
some time. It contains two or three white angular 
tears like those of Kiamese benzoin, but the latter 
do not show any evidence of exposure to light. 
The interesting point about Palembang benzoin 
is that whilst it has the same odour as ordinary 
“ Sumatra ’■ benzoin, it is more translucent and 
annears to contain a considerable amount of mois- 
ture freshly broken specimens readily becoming 
luonidy when placed in a closed glass vessel. So 
far as I have been able to learn only one species of 
benzoin tree is commonly known at Balombang, 
and that, judging from specimens presented to the 
Soc-iety's Ilerlsvrlum I'.y Mr. U. Jaime in Iswt is 
undoubtedly AVyrnr /frmrJu, Ui’v., im wfU as from 
the Bpeclmms from Java sent fry J->r. Irenb, since 
they We the globular fruits eharacteristjc of tiuit 
sptcies If tlio Palembang and Sumatra beiiimms 
of comumreo are derived from t in same tree there 
«H proljably flomc difference in the tiiodo o# })rcpa- 
rtttiQH ; the i’aleiubtuig viirioty may pcrlmpB ue 
molted into blocks in hot water, and tho Sumatra 
by artificial heat, and this might account for the 
moisture present in the former and tho larger per- 
centage of benzoic acid thsit it generally affords, but 
I have not been able to learn any facts tending to 
confirm tliis suggcKtion. The speciinen of benzoin 
sent by Dr. Treub has the same odour as tho 
I'alcmbang and tho ordinary Sumatra benzoin. 
The odour of tho Penang benzoin is so charac- 
teristic and 80 strongly rescinbles storax, that I 
cannot doubt it is produced by a dilTerent species. 
It is pointed out in the * Pharnia/cographia’ that 
*Storax siOnirnficuhtum, Miq., occurs in W. Suma- 
tra, and therefore in Ihe province in which Denang is 
situated, and that this tree bears tho same native 
name, “kajoe kemingan," as N'. lU'iizoiit, as if it 
yielded a bezoin. Tliere is also a fragmentary speci- 
men of another Hi>ocicH from Penang in the Society’s 
Herljariuin, viz.. S. out 1 have no 
evidence to offer tliat either of thorn yield Penang 
benzoin. Tho subject needs further investigation, 
and 1 hope tliat Mr. H. M. Ridley of the Singapore 
Botanic Gardens, with whom I have also been in 
correspondence on the subject, may he able ultimately 
to clear up the matter. 
Attached to the Java specimen are. some very 
curious galls of a cornucopia shape, developed 
at the ex]}euse of the flowers These galls 
are produced in Java in such numbers that tho 
production of fruit is much lessoned thereliy and 
consequently tlie spreading of tlie tree is considerably 
diminished. The insect producing the galls has 
been quite recently described as a new species of 
aphia by Dr. A. Tschirch (/frr. fini. Gen, 
iHOb, p. -IH), under the name of 
jitfiriicoifUd* U’schirch. The interesting account he 
gives of these galls is accompanied iiy illuatratious, 
both of the insect and of tho structure of the 
galls (taf. iv.). 
The specimen of tho stem in section showing the 
gum resin exuding, does not bear evidence of the 
application of heat, although it has been stated that 
it is formed, under the stimulant action of applied 
heat, benzoic acid not existing naturally in tlio bark. 
Neither in this specimen nor in that of the Siam 
benzoin tree, presented by Mr. Jamie seven years 
ago, is there any evidence of treatment beyond the 
application of an axe or adze to gasli the bark. 
1 may liere take tho opportunity of pointing out 
tliat the Siam benzoin, which has a distinct vanilla 
odour, is also the product of a different species of 
styrax. Tho leaves, examined in section by Mr. 
Hhenstono, of (3olcbe8ter, some years ago, showed 
Bufticient difference from those of S. Hfnzfrin to 
indicate that they proiiably belong to a differont 
species whilst the drawing by Dr. Pierre in the 
Herbarium of this Society of the ovary of a specie.s 
of Stfirax from Luang i^abang in the Ijaos States, 
where the Siam benzoin is produced, shows an 
oval or elliptical outline, that of *V. lifuxoiu being 
spliorical. 
Dhaoon’h Hloou. 
Respecting the dragon's blood the information 
sent by Dr. Treub is both new and interesting. The 
dragon’s blood of the beet kind is evidently the pro- 
duce of a species of calamus, different from that 
affording tho inferior qualities. It may he hoped that 
the information thus obtained may lead to the culti- 
vation of this rare species, and the production on a 
larger scale of so beautiful a product in a perfectly 
pure state. Tlie species of calamus yielding the resin 
appear to be imperfectly known. The colour of the 
spocimons in fiat cakes, three inches long, one inch 
wide, and about a quarter of an incli thick, is 
brighter than in any of the other commercial forms 
of the article. — Plim Jovvnul. 
PDTAf^ll KKRTILIZKUS. 
Tho potash salts, which are used for agricultural 
purposes, are either directly or indirectly tho pro- 
ducts of tlie mines around Htrassfurt, Germany* 
'riiesc salts arc imported now in considerable quan 
Litina (last year's imjiortation alone reaching 
aggregate of lol),00<J tons, an amount that will 
