Vol. III. No. -57. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



203 



CASTOR OIL PLANT. 



In view of the efforts that have been made in 

 some of the West Indian Ishmds to encourage the 

 cultivation of the castor uil plant, more especially 

 where the oil is desired for soap making, the following 

 extract from the Queensland Agricultural Journal 

 for April is likely to be of interest : — 



The castor oil plant {Ricinus comiaunix) is a native of 

 all warm countries. It is very hardy, anil will thrive on 

 almost any soil and in any situation, attai}iing a great height 

 in one season after sowing the seed. The plant likes dry 

 .soils. The seeds should be sown in rows, 6 feet apart, and 

 i feet in the rows. Before sowing, the seed should be 

 steeped in hot water for twenty-four hours. After the 

 plants are above ground, the cultivation is the same as for 

 corn, cotton, or tobacco. 



When the seed-pods are ripe, they suddenly burst 

 open and scatter the .seeds in all directions. Special 

 arrangements must, therefore, be made for harvesting 

 them. When the pods are seen to be turning brown, the 

 .spikes which bear them are cut of!" and taken to a clean- 

 swept piece of hai-d ground which may be enclosed with 

 galvanized iron. Here they remain, being turned occasion- 

 ally until the pods have emptied themselves. The husks are 

 then removed by winnowing, and the beans swept up and 

 bagged. They must on no account be allowed to get wet. 

 This work is .so light that it can be done by young children. 



The yield of beans varies hetween 20 and 30 bushels per 

 acre. The oil i.s extracted by means of a hydraulic, a screw, or 

 a lever press. What is known as 'cold-drawn castor oil' is 

 that obtained by mere pressure. The first thing to do is to 

 remove the external hull. This is effected by passing the 

 beans through two revolving rollers, set in such a way as 

 merely to crack the hull, which is then got rid of by 

 winnowing. The decorticated seeds are then put into coarse 

 hempen bags about 2 feet in diameter. Between eacli layer 

 of bags there is placed a steel plate, and about 20 or 30 bags, 

 each holding about 40 Bj. of .seeds, are placed on toj) of each 

 other in the press. The pressure must be applied gradually, 

 and the oil running from the first press is the best. As the 

 pressure is increased up to the full power of the press, a 

 second quality is produced. The jiulp after this is taken 

 out, mixed with hot water, and again pressed to obtain the 

 third quality. The oil from the mill runs into a receptacle 

 below. Another method is to place the beans in a stone 

 roller-mill. This consists of two large, round stones 

 connected by a spindle, which are revolved by horse-power 

 in a hollow round stone, in which the beans are placed. 

 These stone mills hold about 2 cwt., and this quantity is 

 crushed every half-hour. I saw one of these mills working 

 in Egypt, and another in Ceylon, and they are very eft'ective. 

 The oil is poured into filtering bag.s, and the pure oil runs 

 from the shelves on which the bags are placed through tubes 

 into vessels [ilaced to receive it. The yield of oil varies 

 from 40 to 60 i)er cent., but the average yield is usually 

 40 per cent. 



The oil cake makes excellent manure. The usual i)rice 

 of castor oil for lubricating purposes — not medicinal — is from 

 2.S. 9d to 3s. per gallon. From 1,000 ft. of .seed about 

 50 gallons of oil are produced. Thus, if the produce of 

 1 acre of castor oil plants is 1,000 ft., the return would be 

 £1 10.5. But this is merely an approximate return, which 

 must necessarily vary under different conditions. The first 

 oil expressed — that is, that known as ' cold-drawn ' — is the 

 medicinal oil, which sells at a muoli higher price than the 

 second and third qualities. 



DISEASES OF RABBITS. 



The May issue of the Journal of the Jamaim 

 Agricultural Society contains a short article on .some 

 common diseases of rabbits, adapted by Mr. Barclay from 

 Farm, Field and Fireside : — 



Cold ill (he Head : This is often caused by a crack in the 

 hutch which causes the rabbit to be always in a draught. See 

 to this at once. If the rabbit has taken cold, it will be constantly 

 sneezing and running at the nose. Give warm food, such as 

 bread and milk, boiled sweet potatos, served warm, mixed 

 Avith a little corn meal ; in each feed put eight drops of sweet 

 spirits of nitre, and if the rabbit will not eat its food when 

 this is mixed with it put the .spirits of nitre in a little milk 

 and pour down its throat. 



Constipation : This complaint only makes its appearance 

 when there has laeen a lack of herbaceous food. The raljbit 

 is seen sitting in one corner of the hutch taking no notice of 

 food, and sometimes the body is swollen. It must be 

 tempted to eat some green food, such as Spanish needle, 

 ' Babbit Feeding,' or calibage leaves. Should this fail to 

 bring about the desired result, pour a little .salt and water 

 down its throat ; put in just enough salt to make the water 

 .saline, and put a few droi)s of ' Healing Oil ' in it. 



Diseased Liver : This is a complaint the rabbit keeper 

 nuist be on the look out for, as any sign of diseased liver will 

 spoil the sale of his produce. With this disease there is 

 difficulty in breathing which is heavy and sometimes audible, 

 and the rabbit should at once be killed. It is little use 

 trying to doctor, in fact, it is not worth the trouble unless the 

 animal is a very valuable one. In case a remedy is wanted, 

 the following will be useful :— Give twice a day a teaspoon- 

 full of castor oil, and give plenty of young ' Spanish needle ' 

 amongst the green food. As preventives, do not allow the 

 rabbit to eat off the fioor, and avoid feeding corn. 



Drojisi/ or Pot Belly .■ One of the commonest of rabbit 

 diseases to which the young stock are most liable. The 

 principal causes are an excess of wet green food in large 

 quantities, or a large quantity of the same, fed at irregular 

 hour.s, or hutches too small. The animal's body becomes 

 swollen, as the rabbit will keep on eating, if allowed ; the 

 complaint is aggravated, and death soon ensues. The treat- 

 ment should be as follows :— Induce it to have a run on dry 

 ground ; give dry food, such as a few peas, (leaves of the 

 banana or plantain tree are good) and give a little parsley, 

 thyme, or sliced carrots ; but any green food or roots must be 

 given sparingly. A proper allowance of sweet hay and corn 

 with the green food, fed at regular hour.s, is the prevention. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 

 Mr. Joseph Jone.s, Curator of the Botanic Station 

 at Dominica, left that island on Thursday, June 2, for 

 England on leave of absence. 



Mr._ J. C. Moore, Agricultural Superintendent at 

 St. Lucia, was also a passenger for England by the 

 R.M.S. ' Atrato ' on leave of absence. During 

 Mr. Moore's absence, Mr. F. E. Bandy, Inspector of 

 Schools, will act as Agricultural Superintendent. 



On the recommendation of the Imperial Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture for the West Indies, the Secretary 

 of State for the Colonies has approved of the appoint- 

 ment of Mr. Murrell B. Connell, as Assistant Clerk 

 on the staff of the Imperial Department of Agriculture. 



