Commercial Botany of the Nineteenth Century

This illustrated 1890 survey explores the commercial use of plants cultivated both domestically and in Britain's colonies abroad.

John R. Jackson (Author)

9781108069311, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 February 2014

182 pages, 31 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 1.1 cm, 0.24 kg

The nineteenth century witnessed great advances in technology which made transporting natural resources overseas significantly easier. At the centre of a global empire, Britain felt the full economic benefits of introducing and cultivating a range of commercial plants both domestically and in her colonies abroad. First published in 1890, this succinct work by the English botanist John Reader Jackson (1837–1920) surveys these plants. The concise descriptions are enhanced by instructive drawings of significant species. The introduction also contains a chronological table of the century's most important developments in commercial botany. This is followed by chapters organised according to the applications of plants, notably in food, drink, medicine, and the building trade. Jackson points out the species which revolutionised these industries, identifying those at the heart of rapidly growing markets. The coverage includes many commodities which remain commercially significant, such as palm oil, sugar cane, and cotton.

Introduction
1. India-rubber or caoutchouc
2. Gutta-percha
3. Food products
4. Beverages
5. Drugs
6. New drugs
7. Oils and waxes
8. Gums, resins, and varnishes
9. Dyes and tanning materials
10. Paper materials
11. Fibres
12. Fodders
13. Timbers and hard woods
14. Miscellaneous products
Index.

Subject Areas: Botany & plant sciences [PST]