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Flowers of Benzoin, or Benjamin

the crude product of the distillation with a solution of pure potassa, the valerianic acid is removed, and the volatile oil obtained nearly pure. Dissolved in four parts of rectified spirit it forms the "Apple Essence" now so much employed as a flavoring ingredient for liquors. Apple oil when combined with Jamaica Rum is sometimes used to give neutral spirit the true flavor of rum. In conjunction with oil of Cognac, it is one of the best flavors to convert pure spirit into an imitation peach brandy, and when united with butyric ether it is a splendid "Old Madeira" flavor. With plain spirit it gives an excellent imitation apple brandy.

Oak Bark.

Black oak bark has a more bitter taste than that of any other species, it contains a coloring principle, capable of being extracted by boiling water, to which it imparts a yellowish brown color. Besides this principle, oak bark has an astringent flavor, and contains much tannin. (See "Tannin.") Oak bark is used to color rum, brandy, and whiskey, and to impart the slightly astringent taste so natural to those liquors. The tincture of oak bark in recipe No. 6, is made by infusing 2 ounces of black oak bark in 1½ pint of boiling water for five hours and straining the tincture before using.

Flowers of Benzoin or Benjamin.

The benzoin tree is a native of Siam, Borneo, and Java. The best kind comes from the former place. Benzoin exudes through incisions made in the tree, and when dried it becomes a hard gum. When the gum is heated, white specks rise as a smoke, which is easily condensed upon paper. The material thus separated from the ben-