xl 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES &C. 
appreciation of his services in having so satisfactorily tested the property 
of Indian-grown American Sumach) has report ed most favorably of it 5 
leather tanned by it being stated to possess “not only an equality in soft¬ 
ness with that tanned by Dividivi, but surpassing it in color and appear¬ 
ance.” Mr. Teil further gives it as his opinion,—the opinion of a practical 
tanner—that “it is consequently capable of being used far more extensive¬ 
ly for tanning purposes, especially when a bright color is required, than the 
Dividivi:—and he adds—“if therefore it can be extensively grown, not on¬ 
ly at Chittagong, but also in other parts of the country, at a moderate ex¬ 
pense, I feel confldent it would become an article of considerable demand 
in foreign markets, besides being extensively used in this country.” The 
quantity placed at Mr. Teils disposal was too small to admit ofhis carrying 
out a series of comparative experiments with this productand other tanning 
substances, but this he will be able to effect in the early part of next year, 
when Mr. Sconce has promised to send a much larger supply of the pods. 
The tree in question, which is c^ed Temby the natives of Chittagong, ap¬ 
pears to be unknown on this side of the Bay ; but from the facility with 
which a number of individuals have been raised from seed at the Society’s, 
nursery, there is little doubt it could be readily introduced ail over Bengal, 
should subsequent enquiries prove that it is not indigenous.’* 
“ In the circumstance above noted, we have another instance of imperfect 
^agricultural de- knowledge of the vast vegetable resources of India, 
partment—TheYa- notwithstanding the various works' and useful re- 
onia of Darjeelin c . p ortg t have been published from time to time on 
the subject of its botany and agriculture. We have here brought to notice 
an indigenous substance, which apparently has never before attracted at¬ 
tention, but, which, in all probability, will be found an excellent and cheap 
substitute for articles hitherto procured from Europe and America. In a 
report like the present, it would be out of place to enter upon any lengthy 
dissertation on the many vegetable products of India which, at present 
scarcely known or neglected, might probably, by the bestowal of a little 
skill and capital, be added to our list of export articles 3 but it may not be 
* Dr. McClelland, Officiating Superintendent H. C. Bot. Garden, Cal¬ 
cutta, to whom u flower and leaves of the Teree were lately referred, makes 
the following observation on it :—“ The Chittagong plant is very interest¬ 
ing, as it would appear to be an iindescribed species of Ccesalpinia, coming 
very close to C. resupinata , Roxb : but obviously differing from that spe¬ 
cies in having spinous stipels on the upper as well as lower side of the com¬ 
mon petiole, and supinate, instead ofresupinate flowers, the odd lobe of 
the calyx being posterior, and the stamens more W'oolly, It has nevev been 
introduced as far as I can learn.” 
