The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-03-09
USES OF THE SOAP TREE.
Consul Thinks It Might Be Profitably
Cultivated in America.

So"su' tHiHks " Wignt BE frorltaply
Cultivated in America.
The soap tree of Algeria is described
In a report by Consul Kidder at AL
giers. He says:
THE Sapndus utilis is not, as is
generally supposed, indigenous in Al
geria. 1t was introduced into the col
ony In 1s45 under the name of Sap
indus indicus. and in 1859 a number
OF young plants grown in Algeria were
already offered for sale. In 1869 the
catalogue of the Jardin d'Essai of AL
Seris gives the name of another spe-
cies as Sapindus emarginatus, believ-
ed to be native of Central America.
Both these names were erroneous.
THE soap tree In Algeria differs
widely from both of these species. 1t
appears to be a hybrid, and has char
acteristics quite different from those
OF any of the known varieties coming
fiom India, Japan, China, and Central
America, and it Is superior to all in
general usefulness. For this reason
DIR. Trabut. director of the botanical
services of the general Government of
Algeria, suggested the name of Sapin-
dus utilis. which has been generally
adopted
The Sapindus utilis is large tree
with smooth. straight trunk. The
plants reach to about 10 feet in height
in the first two years and begin to
bear in six years. but the fruit pro-
duction increases largely as the tree
becomes older. The berry is round in
appearance, but with a distinct keel
like that of walnut incircling it. 1t
is, when fresh, smooth, shiny, and
translucid; the color varies from yell
lowish green to brown. In size It varies
from half an inch to an inch in dia-
meter. Dried, it weighs from one
eighth to one-quarter of an ounce.
The seeds form about a third of the
total weight. The tree when fully
grown is from 40 to so feet tall, and
produces 200 pounds of fruit annually.
Several varieties produced from
seed have given poor results. The only
practical method of reproduction is
from cuttings. These cuttings should
be planted in February in Algeria
and countries with similar climate.
They must be copiously watered dur
ing the summer.
so far the cultivation of this tree
in Algeria has been confined to the
low-lying lands near the coast. (the
orange belD, but it is believed that
it would endure a more severe eli
mate. The only large plantation of
these trees is that of M. Bertrand at
his property of Boukandoura, about
eighteen miles from Algiers, covering
some $50 acres: but there are many
small plantations, and recently the
cultivation of the tree is being largely
undertaken.
There are no important manufac-
lures of soaptree products in Algeria.
The entire product of the plantation
referred to above went last year to
Germany. A good deal of the fruit is
employed in it's natural state. and
many chemists produce specialties
from it, such as saponine,' an excel
lent washing powder sapodiBe,' re-
puted hair wash. and many other ar
ticles for toilet purposes. Panama
wood, which is extensively used in
Europe for washing, contains on an
average about per cent of saponine,
while the dried fruit of the soap tree
contains fully 2S per cent When
freight is taken into consideration the
difference can be easily estimated.
The wood of the soap tree is also
valuable. 1t is fine grained, takes a
good polish, and is very suitable for
furniture. The seed contains con-
siderable quantity of fine oil. 1t seems
that the cultivation of this tree might
be remunerative in California and in
our Southern States. The New York
Times.