Gambier at Singapore
1
Sept., 1890.1 5kienta.c Notes ad Cowintents. 239 two or three species of fig. The jungles of the Centra1 I’rovinces are the chief sources of supply. In Assam the insect is regularly cultivated on two varieties of fig. The inland trade this year is valued at IOI lakhs of rupees. H. T. GAMBIER AT SINGAPoKE-Annual report of Singapore Botanica1 Gardens ; through fiur..Soc. 0icm. Lvdushy, 9, ó-/o.-Gambier is one of the most important products of Singapore, but, although it stil1 maintains its high price, there are many complaints from England that the imported article is heavily adulterated with water. In order to trace the origin of this excess, samples taken from the field fresh from the boilmg-shed were sent to Mr. Evans, of Bristol, whose analysis, as compared with a sample of block-gam- hier received by him in the ordinary course of trade, was as follows : (;ambit+r fvom thp f:ield. Ttade C;aw>bi~i-. per COLL. per cmt. Tannin, . . . . . 11.48 14.68 Organic matter, . 30’ 1 1 42.26 Water, , . . . . . 53’39 31.89 Ash, . . . . 4’46 6 34 Loss, . . 0.56 4.48 100 00 oo.65 The result shows that there is actually less water in the trade article than in the gambier taken directly frorn the coolies’ hands, and negatives the sug- gestion that the town Taw&r~j adulterates the gambier, after receiving it in Singapore, with water to make it heavier. The other suggestion that the gambier has deteriorated of late years from insufficient inspiration, owinp to less fuel being used in boiling, seems more probable. In earlier years. when there was no attempt made to protect the forests, the destruction of firing was very large, and fuel could be had in large quantities. Now the results of this wasteful destruction are being felt, and the gambier is insufficiently boiled and dried. Persons interested in the trade recently conceived the idea of forrning n company in Singapore to cultivate gambier on a large scale, but this has fallen through, and there is an idea that this product may be cultivated more profitably, that is with European labor. in other of our colonies. Conse- quently, most botanica1 establishments have applied to the Singapore gardens for seeds or young plants, and a large quantityof seed was carefully collected, dried, and distributed widely, but, as far as has yet been heard. the experi- ments with it have failed entirely. It seems now certain that gambier seed has a very short duratlon of life (the Chinese say only twenty-four hours)-that is, it must be sown as soon as ripe. Thus, al1 attempts to send seed to dis- tant colonies must prove futile. Unfortunately, too, young plants are very bad travellers, and though many have been sent out to different establish- ments, few appear to survive the voyage. More plants, in as healthy a con- dition as possible. are now to be sent out to various colonies where gambier is likely to thrive. H. T.
Transcript of Gambier at Singapore
Sept., 1890.1 5kienta.c Notes ad Cowintents. 239
two or three species of fig. The jungles of the Centra1 I’rovinces are the chief sources of supply. In Assam the insect is regularly cultivated on two varieties of fig. The inland trade this year is valued at IOI lakhs of rupees.
H. T.
GAMBIER AT SINGAPoKE-Annual report of Singapore Botanica1 Gardens ; through fiur..Soc. 0icm. Lvdushy, 9, ó-/o.-Gambier is one of the most important products of Singapore, but, although it stil1 maintains its high price, there are many complaints from England that the imported article is heavily adulterated with water. In order to trace the origin of this excess, samples taken from the field fresh from the boilmg-shed were sent to Mr. Evans, of Bristol, whose analysis, as compared with a sample of block-gam- hier received by him in the ordinary course of trade, was as follows :
(;ambit+r fvom thp f:ield. Ttade C;aw>bi~i-.
per COLL. per cmt.
Tannin, . . . . . 11.48 14.68 Organic matter, . 30’ 1 1 42.26 Water, , . . . . . 53’39 31.89 Ash, . . . . 4’46 6 34 Loss, . . 0.56 4.48
100 00 oo.65
The result shows that there is actually less water in the trade article than in the gambier taken directly frorn the coolies’ hands, and negatives the sug- gestion that the town Taw&r~j adulterates the gambier, after receiving it in Singapore, with water to make it heavier. The other suggestion that the gambier has deteriorated of late years from insufficient inspiration, owinp to less fuel being used in boiling, seems more probable. In earlier years. when there was no attempt made to protect the forests, the destruction of firing was very large, and fuel could be had in large quantities. Now the results of this wasteful destruction are being felt, and the gambier is insufficiently boiled and dried.
Persons interested in the trade recently conceived the idea of forrning n company in Singapore to cultivate gambier on a large scale, but this has fallen through, and there is an idea that this product may be cultivated more profitably, that is with European labor. in other of our colonies. Conse- quently, most botanica1 establishments have applied to the Singapore gardens for seeds or young plants, and a large quantityof seed was carefully collected, dried, and distributed widely, but, as far as has yet been heard. the experi- ments with it have failed entirely. It seems now certain that gambier seed has a very short duratlon of life (the Chinese say only twenty-four hours)-that is, it must be sown as soon as ripe. Thus, al1 attempts to send seed to dis- tant colonies must prove futile. Unfortunately, too, young plants are very bad travellers, and though many have been sent out to different establish- ments, few appear to survive the voyage. More plants, in as healthy a con- dition as possible. are now to be sent out to various colonies where gambier is likely to thrive. H. T.
