Valonia (FR., Velanedes ; GER., Valonia). This is the commercial name for the large pericarps or acorn-cups of several speeies or varieties of oak, chiefly • Querous 2Egilops and Q. macrolepis. The former is found growing in the high lands of the Morea, Roumelia, the Greek Archipelago, Asia Minor, and Palestine ; the latter constitutes vast forests in many parts of Greece, and especially on the lower slopes of Taygetos, towards ./Etylon and Mani (Laconia). Prof. Orphanides, of Athens, alludes to a third species or variety called porto galussa, which yields a superior kind of valonia, and named by him Q. stenophylla. The chief localities of production in Asia Minor are Ushak, Borlo, Demirdji, Ghiordes, Adala, Nazlii, Buldur, Sokia, Balat, Troja, Aivalik, and Mytilene. The annual exports, mainly from Smyrna, reach 600,000 quintals (of 2 cwt.), value about 400,000/. Tit Greece, the production is chiefly centred in the following districts : (1) The province of Lacedemonia, which afforded 10,000 cwt. in 1872; (2) the province of Gythium, in the lower part of Mount Taygetos, which gave 60,000 cwt. in 1872; (3) the island of Zea, which formerly yielded 30,000-40,000 cwt., lately reduced to 15,000 cwt. yearly ; (4) Attica, especially the neighbourhood of Cacossalessi, grows 3000-5000 cwt., shipped from Oropos, in the Strait of Chalcis ; (5) the island of Eubcea, whence about 1000 cwt. are shipped annually at Bouffalo ; (6) the province of Triphyllia raises 3000 cwt., which go t,o Trieste, via Cyparissie ; (7) the province of Pulos, especially the commune of Ligudista, grows over 2000 cwt., despatched from Navarino to Trieste ; (8) the province of Achaia has a yearly crop of 30,000-40,000 cwt., shipped to Trieste from Courupeli and Caravostassi, between Patras and Cape Papa ; (9) the small towns of Anatolico and A stakos (Dragomestre) collect the valonia of the eastern parts of /Etylon, Aearoacia, and Cravassaras (a port in the Gulf of Arta), and of all the other western parts, to be sent to Trieste for shipment to England and Italy. ./Etolia and Acarnania furnish abundant crops, that of 1872 exceeding 100,000 cwt. The total area of the Greek valonia-yielding forests is said to be about 13,000 strernme (of 119i sq. yd.). The total production in 1877 was estimated at 2,601,000 quintals (of 2 cwt.) ; the greater part is exported, about going to Austria, and the rest to Italy and England. The proportions of tannic acid in the valonia from different districts of Greece. are said to vary as follows : Patras, 19-28i per cent. ; Gythium, 271-351 ; Zea, ; Vonitza, 18-20.
In Turkey, the fruit ripens in July-August, when the trees are beaten, and the fallen acorns left on the ground to dry. The natives afterwards gather them, and transport them on camel-back to stores in the towns, whence they go by camel and train to Smyrna, and are there placed in heaps 5-6 ft. deep in large airy stores for some weeks, during which the mass heats, and the acorn itself, which contains but little tannin, and is used for feeding pigs, contracts and falls from the, cup. This incipient fermentatioh is attended with considerable risk ; if carried too far, a large proportion of the valonia becomes dark-coloured and otherwise damaged. When ready for shipment, the heaps are hand-picked, the best being reserved for the Austrian market (Trieste); and the rest going to England. In some casce, the rubbish having been removed, the remainder is known ae " natural," and is thus exported to England.
In Greek commerce, three qualities are distinguished, chamada, rhabdisto, and charchala. The chamada (camata and carnatina of Asia Minor) is the best ; it i15 collected in April, before the acorn is matured, hence the cup which encloeee the acorn ia email and incompletely developed. The
rhabdisto is the aecoud quality ; it is collected in September-October, and is distinguished hy the fruit being larger and riper ; the name means " beaten," the fruita being beaten down from the treat with atioke. After mid-October the collection ceasea, hecause the firat mina cause the fallen fruit to ferment or turn black, and they then take the name of charchala. They are distinguished hy the cups being completely open, and containing no acorns. They are considered much inferior, poaseesing little tannin.
Sometimes the acorn cup ie attacked by a kind of honey-dew, which deposits on the cup, and makea it very liable to heat when gathered, the cup becoming very dark and deficient in tannin. The Turkish crop of 1875 watt much damaged from this cause, many parcels reaching England in an unsaleable condition. The cause of the disease ie yet unknown ; it seems specially prevalent when the crop is large and the acorn fully developed. A good eample of valonia should be com poaed of medium-aized cups, with the rim or wall very thick, and the exterior spinea small and uniform. The cut or hroken cup should ahow a bright-drab fractured surface. Valonia contains 25-35 per cent. of a tannin aomewhat resembling that of oak-bark, but giving a browner colour and heavier bloom. It makes a hard and heavy leather, and is generally tatted in admixture with oak bark, myrobalans, or mirnoea-bark.
The Greek crop in 1880 wan much damaged by the cold spring : it gave 600 tone in Acarnania and /Etolia, 650 in Cape Papa, and 1400 in Mania ; total, 2650 tons. Calamata and Meaaenia pro duced 115 tons, 1700/. Syra exported in 1879, 1174/. worth to Great Britain, 348/. Auatria, 259/. Ruaaia, 250/. Turkey, 178/. Egypt. Hungary exported 942 tone in 1880. Adana shipped 9450/. worth in 1878 ; and Dedcagatch, in the aame year, 1,500,000 lb., 9000/. Muayna Plersinela] tient 670 tone, 3350/., to Italy, and 450 tons, 2250/., to Auatria, in 1879 ; and 480 tone, 22101., to Italy, and 128 tons, 640/., to Greece, in 1880. Our imports in 1880 were :—Frona Turkey, 30,391 tons, 471,637/. ; Greece, 2916 tons, 41,312/. ; other countries, 466 tone, 7105/. ; total, 33,773 tone, 520,054/. The approximate London market values are :—Smyrna, 12s. 6d.-20s. 6d. a cwt.; Cantata, 15-19s. ; Morea, 10s. 6d.-18s.
Misoellan.eous.—Besides the foregoing tannine, which already occupy prominent placea in European and American commeroe, there are many others aa yet of minor importance, but poseesaing qualities which may bring them into note in the near future. They are as follows :— Abies Larix bark, the larch, containa 6-8 per cent. of a red tannin.
Acacia athicans fruits, the hiusache of Mexico, are used ea substitutes for gall-nuts, costing looally about 5d. a. lb. A. arabica, the babul of India, yielde a tannin which gives a nearly pure white precipitate with gelatine ; the proportiona are 12.55 per cent. in trunk-bark, 18.95 in branch-bark, 15.45 in twig-bark. The supply ie unlitnited. It works well with myrobalans. A. Cebil, the red cebil of the Argentine Republic, containa 10-15 per cent. of tannin in the bark, and 6-7 per cent. in the leavee ; another variety, the white cebil, eontaina 8-12 per cent. in the bark, and 7-8 per cent. in the leavee. A. Cavenia, the cspinillo of the Argentine Republic, has 33-4 per cent. of tannin in the fruit-husks. A. penninervis bark, the " hardy " acacia of Auatralia, contains 18 per cent. of tannic aeid and 3-4 of gallio.