American Liguidambar.—This is derived from Liguidambar styracqua, a large tree of the American continent, from Connecticut and Illinois southward to Mexico and Guatemala. In the United States, small quantities of a balsamic resin, termed " sweet gum," and sometimes used as a mastica tory, are collected from natural fissures or incisions made in the tree. In Central America, the exudation is much more freely afforded, and is collected by the Indians in small cylinders, to be burnt us incense. As met with in commerce, it is a transparent, thick, fluid, goldeu-brown oleo resin, of balsamic odour, and similar flavour.
E. Asian Liquidambar.—This is of two kinds. The flrst is a dry terebinthinous fragrant resin produced by L. furmosana in Formosa and S. China ; it is used by the Chiueee. The second is a fmgrant balsam obtained from L. A/tingiana [Altingia excekall, of Assam, Burma, and the E. Archi pelago. It is collected in small quantity in Java from incisions in tbe trunk ; in Burtua, a pel lucid light-yellowish kind is procured in the same way, besides a darker, thicker quality by bor'ng the stem and applying fire around it.
Tamanu and Tacamahaca.—The name tamanu is applied only to the resin of Calophyllum inophyllurn, but tacarnahaca (variously spelt) is used indiscriminately for the resins of /aka Tacama haca, Calophyllum inophyllum, Elaphriurn tomentosum, Populus balsamiyra, and Calophyllum Calaba. lu the present article, the terms will be restricted to the resins of Calophyllum spp., particularly C. Ma phyllum. The geographical distribution of this tree has been given elsewhere (see Oils and Fatty Substances--Dile, pp. 1387-8). The resin exudes both spontaneously and from incisions in the bark and roots. It is green or yellow and liquid when first it escapes, but hardens in time to a laittle aromatic mass, soluble in alcohol and ether. C. Calaba seems to yield a similar article in Venezuela. The Venezuolan port of Maracaibo shipped 583 lb. of tacamahaca, value 176i. dol. (of 18. 2d.) in 18so.
Tars.—The tars here to be considered are the so-called " obtained by submitting the wood of the stems and roots of certain trees to a process of destructive distillation. They are of several kinds, and will be described in the following alphabetic order :—(1) Archangel or Stockholm, (2) beech, (3) birch, (4) dummele, (5) ganda, (6) juuiper, (7) teak.
1. Archangel or Stockholm Tar (Fu.,,Goudron Poix liquide; GEM, Holztheer, Fichtentheer).— This, by far tbe most important of the vegetable tars, is produced in Finland, Central and N. Russia, and Sweden, chiefly from Pinus silrestris and P. Ledebourii [Larix sibirica] (see Timber), constituting the folosts of Aretic Europe and Asia; and in Ameriea, from P. mitis, P. rigida, P. australis, and other species, N. Europe is much the larger pn al neer.
The process of dibtillation is cornmonly performed as follows. The roots and bases of the trees, which are valueless as timber, aro closely packed iu huge stacks 00.000-70,000 cub. ft.), and covered with a thick layer of turf, moss, and earth, heavily beaten down. The staek is built over a conical cavity in tbe ground, and if possible on a hill-side. A section of the oven and receiver is shown in Fig. 1182. Fire being applied, combus tion is allowed to proceed very slowly and without flame, requiring 1-4 weeks for its completion, according to the bulk of the steak. Tho products of the downward distillation (mainly tar) coiled in the cavity, and are discharged thence iuto receptacles. A great improvement on this rude plan is the employment of wrought-iron stills with refrigerating con densers. By their use, the yield of tar obtained from air-di icd pine-wood is 14 per cent., and from the roots, 16-20 per cent. ; in addition, mueh pyroligneous acid and turpentine-oil is saved. Tar is usually transported iu barrels of 31i gal.
Its approximate London market value is 13-17s. a bar. for Archangel, and 18s. for Stockholm. Its widespread use as a preservative application to wood is sufficiently familial..
Our imports of tar in 1880 were 105,149 bar., value 73,772/., from Russia ; 10,719 bar., 7138/., from the United States; 3877 bar., 3219/., from Sweden; and 11,227 bar., 6165/., frorn other countries ; total, 181,272 bar., 90,5941. Our exports in the same year to all countries were 9740 bar., 10,048/. The imports show a gradual diminution in quantity from 171,679 bar. in 1877; and in value, from 152,969/. in 1876. Russian tar is manufactured in Finland and shipped from various ports in the Gulf of Bothnia (Uleaborg, Ganda and Ny Carleby, Jacobsstad, Christinestad), and from Archangel and Onega on the White Sea ; while some is produced in Volhynia, and finds its way by the Dnieper to the Black Sea. The Swedish localities of production are mainly about Umea and Lulea, where iron stills are in general use, thus accounting for the superior price of Stockholm tar. Our imports from Sweden fell frorn 8083 bar. in 1877, to 701 in 1878, and rec,overed to 4319 in 1879. Our imports from the United States were 29,771 bar. in 1877, since which date they have const,antly receded. New York exported 7679 bar. in 1878, and 7031 in 1879 ; of the former, 1050 bar. went to N. Europe, and 6070 to S. America, E. and W. Indies, &c. Philadelphia, in 1879, exported 1968 bar. of tar and pitch. Boston, in 1880, received 8398 bar., and exported 1088. Wilming,ton (N. Carolina), in 1878, sent 32,008 bar. coastwise, and 31,176 abroad ; total value, 19,461/. The exports of tar frorn Finland were 143,174 bar. in 1878, 138,730 in 1879, and 129,669 in 1880.