Occasional Notes. 317 
cet. ; it looks as if it were soon cured. Not being an expert, and crude 
to a certain extent in the manufacturing of rubber, gutta percha, et 
cet., I will say that the trouble with balata is that it is so soft that it 
cannot be used for many of the purposes that gutta percha is used for ; 
for instance, it will not make as good a cement alone as gutta percha 
does. There seems to be a natural oil in it in such an excess that it 
keeps the fibres from knitting properly, which makes it both weak and 
soft. The present way of curing in thin sheets is a great improvement 
on the old way of sending it in thick blocks, as the loss is much less 
from shrinkage in manufacturing. You should try some other way of 
curing. I would say, try adding water to the juice and stir it up and 
then let it dry ; or try citric acid, alum, or salt dissolved in water. 
These have all been used with great advantage in coagulating weak 
rubbers. 
As it may be of interest to you I will say that the coagulated juice of 
a fruit tree that bears a round fruit with a potato-like skin, called in 
Hayti Sapodilla and in Porto Rico and Mexico Sapodla, is sent to the 
United States under the name of Chiele and is now worth 29c. per lb. 
Method of coagulation is unknown. The only other new gum is Tono 
or Tauno, worth but 10c. per lb. and not worth your attention," 
At page 234, vol. 3 of Timehri, is published a foot- 
note communicated to the editor by Mr. Jenman, descri- 
bing the distinguishing botanical characters of two of the 
species of cabbage palm found spontaneous in Georgetown. 
Mr. JENMAN submitted herbarium specimens of these palms 
for the critical examination of Sir JOSEPH Hooker, who 
was good enough to send him the following interesting 
communication in reply : — 
I have made several attempts to name your palms, but have 
as often been driven from it by other work. This morning I 
devoted to them and as far as I can discover your No. 2,058 is 
Oreodoxa oleracea. 2,057 * s a Euterpe, near E. utilis, but I think distinct 
by the short erect branches of the spadix. I have hunted through the 
Herbarium, and drawings, published and unpublished, and descriptions 
in the vain attempt to fix it, and I need not say that we have no good 
