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Extraction . — The manufacture of gambier is very 
primitive, the product being obtained by boiling the 
leaves and shoots in water, and concentrating the 
extract so produced until it solidifies on cooling and 
stirring. The boiling process is carried out in large, 
deep pans over open fires. The solid extract is 
cut up into small blocks and placed on racks under 
cover, where it remains for seven to ten days until 
quite dry. These blocks are then pressed together, 
packed in grass matting and covered with gunny 
sacking, each package containing about half a pikul. 
This is marketed as gambier in bales and does not 
fetch such a high price as cube gambier. The latter 
requires more attention in its preparation, is free 
from foreign matter, of a much better colour and, 
being cut into cubes an inch square, contains less 
moisture than the crude product sold in bales. 
Yields . — With regular prunings from plants grown 
on good soil a yield of eight to ten pikuls of dry 
gambier per acre per annum should be obtained. 
The present prices (Oct. 1923) for gambier are 
$1-7.00 per pikul in bales, and $30.00 per pikul for 
No. 1 cube, unpicked; this leaves a good margin 
of profit. 
Uses . — Gambier is an important tanning material, 
giving a peculiar gloss to leather, which is not pro- 
duced by other tanning substances. It is also used 
extensively as a dye in the silk trade. 
LIBERIAN COFFEE. 
(Coffea liberica). 
Liberian coffee is a strong growing species indi- 
genous to Tropical West Africa. The tree is dis- 
tinguished readily by its considerable height (about 
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