The National tribune., 1895-09-05
SPICES AND OTHER THINGS.
What They Are and Where They Come
From-Usefu1 Information.

From-Usecul Information.
iJour5tal Of Education.l
Capers are the flowers of the eaper bush
preserved in salt and vinegar.
Cloves are the dried blossoms of the Glove
tree
Saffron is the dried stigma of the common
yellow crocus which grows in our gardens.
Starch is extracted from potatoes, corn, rice
arrowToot, etc.
Sage is a dry. granulated starch, imported
from the East Indies
Rice is the peeled and dried seed of the
rice plant
Coffee is the kernel taken from the berry
of the coffee tree.
Cocoa is made from the fruit of the cocoa
tree, femented ior five DAYS in heaps. or in
earthen vessels.
Rasins are sun-dried grapes of peculiarly
luscious variety.
Figs are dried and skilfully-prepared fruit
that looks much like the pear.
Dates are dried and prepared fruit of the
date palm.
Pranes are prepared fruit Of small trees.
Nutmecs are the stone fruit found in
feshy hull They are prepared by being
hulled, dried, and immersed in a solution of
lime and salt water.
Mace is the blossom Of the nutmeg tree,
and is prepared by being immersed in salt
water.
Cardamon is the ripe seed of several varie-
ties Of tropical plants
Vanilla Is made from beans that grow upon
vine that clings to trees and rocks.
Black pepper is made from the unripe
dried berry of the pepper shrub.
White pepper is made from the ripe berry
a--r9 Sc III al ~ Il
plant
Allspice is made from the fruit of the
pimento tree. The seed is much like the
pea
The t&marind is the marrow in the pod
Ike fruit Of the Indian tamarind tree. 1t is
dark-brown mass, and is generally mixed
with the seeds and fbers of the fruit.
Black mustard is the seed of sinapis nigra
The seeds have brown color with reddish
tint
White mustard is the seed Of snaps alba
They are thrashed from the pods, and have
a yellowish tint
Linseed is the seed of fax They are
smooth, shining brown, oblong and have a
whitish. sweetish kernel.
Tea is the dried and rolled leaves of the
tea plant.
SIENNA is the dried leaves of the cassia bush.
Cinnamon is the inner rind Of the CHINA
mon tree. The bark of the young shoots is
the best
Cork is the outer rind of the cork-oak.
Ginger is the dried root-stalk of the ginger
plant.
Indigo is the sap Of the indigofera.
LItmus is produced from lchens which
grow On the shores of the Mediterranean.
The licheas are ground, moistened, and
treated with potash, lime, and ammonia, and
converted into dough 1t is then fermented
and afterwards mixed with plaster of paris,
and dried and pressed
Logwood is the marrow Of peculiar tree in
the West Indies. 1t is shipped in long. thick
pieces of firm, heavy, dark-red wood. 1t is
split up and moistened by water or acid for
use.
Madder is the root of an herb-like growth.
IT Is about the size of lead pencil and much
longer. 1t is cleansed. dried and ground.
IL j. dye stuff
Gamboge is a yellow gum which flows
freely from the gamboga tree of the East
Indies.
Asphalt is a combustible, mineral pitch of
a brownish color
Amber is a fossil found in the sen and
sometimes on the banks upon the shore.
lurpentlnc j. baiSam which flows from
some varieties Of pine.
Camphor is contained in the wood and the
root OF the campaor tree Of the East Indies.
Caoutchouc lIBdia-rubber) is obtained
from the milky secretions of various trees and
climbing plants of South America. The
bark OF the tree is thoroughly cleansed. after
which they cut through the bark, and let the
milky sap run into clay troughs or into hol-
low pumpkins. The sap is then dried For
practical use il is then cooked for two or three
hours. 1t IS finally given chemical treat
ment-yulcanized.
Gutta-percha is the milky sap of the Iso-
nandra gutta tree Of the East Indies.
Olive OIL is pressed from the olive, fruit
that grows In Spain, California. etc
Cotton is the fbrous covering of the seeds
within the 8 husk y Of the cotton shrub.
which grows abundaDtly in the Southern
States e