SSG Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



hundred years old, and though prostrated, still send forth branches 

 and bear fruit. 



" In mid-wdnter when the seed-vessels are ripe, they are cut off with 

 their twigs by a sharp knife, attached to the extremity of a long pole, 

 which is held in the hand and pushed upwards against the twigs, 

 removing at the same time such as are fruitless. The capsules are 

 gently pounded in a mortar to loosen the seeds from their shells, from 

 which they are separated by sifting. To facilitate the separation of 

 the white sebaceous matter enveloping the seeds, they are steamed in 

 tubs, having convex open wicker bottoms, placed over caldrons of 

 boiling water. When thoroughly heated, they are reduced to a 

 mash in the mortar, and thence transferred to bamboo sieves, kept at 

 a uniform temperature over hot ashes. A single operation does not 

 suffice to deprive them of all their tallow ; the steaming and sifting is 

 therefore repeated. The article thus procured becomes a solid mass 

 on falling through the sieve, and to purify it, it is melted and formed 

 into cakes for the press ; these receive their form from bamboo hoops, 

 a foot in diameter and three inches deep, which are laid on the ground 

 over a little straw. On being filled with the hot liquid, the ends of 

 the straw beneath are drawn up and spread over the top, and when 

 of sufficient consistence, are placed with their rings in the press. 

 This apparatus, which is of the rudest description, is constructed of 

 two large beams placed horizontally, so as to form a trough capable 

 of containing about fifty of the rings with their sebaceous cakes ; at 

 one end it is closed, and at the other adapted for receiving wedges, 

 which are successively driven into it by ponderous sledge-hammers 

 wielded by athletic men. The tallow oozes in a melted state into a 

 receptacle below, where it cools. It is again melted and poured into 

 tubs, smeared with mud to prevent its adhering. It is now marketable, 

 in masses of about eighty pounds each, hard, brittle, white, opake, 

 tasteless, and without the odour of animal tallow : under high pressure 

 it scarcely stains bibulous paper: melts at 140° Fahr. It may be 

 regarded as nearly pure stearine ; the slight difference is doubtless 

 owing to the admixture of oil expressed from the seed in the process 

 just described. The seeds yield about eight per cent, of tallow, which 

 sells for about five cents per pound. 



** The process for pressing the oil, which is carried on at the same 

 time, remains to be noticed ; it is contained in the kernel of the nut, 

 the sebaceous matter, which lies between the shell and the husk, 

 having been removed in the manner described. The kernel and the 

 husk covering it are ground between two stones, which are heated 

 to prevent clogging from the sebaceous matter still adhering. The 

 mass is then placed in a winnowing machine, precisely like those in 

 use in Western countries. The chaff being separated, exposes the 

 white oleaginous kernels, which, after being steamed, are placed in a 

 mill to be mashed. This machine is formed of a circular stone 

 groove, twelve feet in diameter, three inches deep, and about as many 

 wide, into which a thick solid stone wheel, eight feet in diameter, 

 tapering at the edge, is made to revolve perpendicularly by an ox 

 harnessed to the outer end of its axle, the inner turning on a pivot 



