Vol. X. No. 251. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



395 



OILS AND OIL SEEDS AT THE 

 IMPERIAL INSTITUTE, 1910. 



cou>iTEiES OF ORIGIN. Sudan, East Africa Protecto- 

 rate, Uganda, Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Gambia, Gold Coast, 

 Sierra Leone, Southern Nigeria, Northern Nigeria, India, 

 British Honduras, Fiji, and foreign countries. 



BACO OR AEAKU SEEDS (Mimusops DjaveV). The ker- 

 nels from a sample of these seeds from the Gold Coast 

 yielded 60"5 per cent, of a white, solid fat which was 

 regarded by e.vperts as of about the same value as medium 

 qualities of palm oil for soap-making. The dried kernels 

 would be worth about £13 lOs, per ton (February 1910). 



A specimen of Mimuso^JS seed was also received from 

 Southern Nigeria. 



BEESWAX. A sample of beeswax from Uganda was of 

 good quality and worth £6 17s. dd. per cwt. (January G, 

 1910). 



BEN OIL SEEDS {Morinigapterygosperma). A small con- 

 signment of ben oil seed from Northern Nigeria was 

 expressed by machinery. The oil was tested by manufac- 

 turers, who reported that it was suitable for soap-making, 

 and for this purpose would be worth a little less than cotton 

 seed oil. It is now being subjected to a prolonged trial by 

 a chronometer maker in order to determine its value as 

 a lubricant. The oil-cake, on analysis, compared favourably 

 with cotton cake and linseed cake with respect to its nutri- 

 tive constituents, but unfortunately it has a bitter taste, and 

 for this reason would probably be unsuitable for use as 

 a feeding stuft' and could only be employed as a manure. 



CASTOR OIL SEEDS. A Sample of castor oil seed from 

 Rhodesia contained 522 per cent, of oil, and was valued by 

 manufacturers at £1-3 per ton (.June 1910). 



A sample from the East Africa Protectorate yielded 

 .51 'G per cent, of oil, and was regarded as of about the same 

 value as Bombay castor oil seed, which was then quoted at 

 £13 5s, per ton (October 1910). 



COPRA .'iND coco.\-NUT OIL. Two samples of copra from 

 the Gold Coast were examined. One was of' fair quality and 

 was valued at £19 per ton (December 1910), but the other 

 ■was in poor condition and worth only about £14 per ton. 



A specimen of copra from Southern Nigeria was equal 

 in appearance to Ceylon copra, but yielded an oil which was 

 more acid than that from the latter. It was stated to be 

 worth £19 per ton (June 1910). 



A sample of cocoa-nut oil from Southern Nigeria was of 

 the usual character, and such oil, if quite clean, would be 

 readily saleable at the current market price. 



COTTON SEED OIL. A study was made of the suitability 

 of Indian cotton seed oil for edible use, with special reference 

 to its employment as a ghi substitute. It was found that the 

 chemical and physical contents of refined oil from Indian seed 

 are practically identical with those of refined Egyptian cotton 

 seed oil, and no difterence in taste could be detected. A firm 

 of manufacturers stated that the Indian oil is regarded as 

 inferior to Egyptian for edible purposes, on account of its 

 bloom, or fluorescent appearance. 



GROTON SEEDS. A Small quantity of Croton Tiglium seeds 

 from Nyasaland was examined. The kernels yielded 58 per 

 cent, of oil, which possessed the usual properties of croton 

 oil. It was reported that croton seed was in small but regular 

 demand, at 40s. to 50s. per cwt. (February 1910). 



GRODND NUTS. A sample of ground nuts from Fiji was 

 of excellent quality, and valued at £13 10s. to £14 per ton. 



Two samples of ground nuts from the Gambia were also 

 examined. 



NIGER SEED (Guiiotia oleifera). A specimen of Niger 

 seed from the East Africa Protectorate contained 37 6 per 

 cent, of oil. This oil is serviceable as a substitute for linseed 

 oil, for .soap-making, and would be worth 36s. to 38s. per 

 quarter of 416 ft. (September 1909). ' ' -' 



OIL PALM PRODUCTS. The investigation which was in 

 progress during 1909 of the products of the different varie- 

 ties of the West African oil palm was completed. Numer- 

 ous samples of palm fruits, palm kernels, palm oils, and palm 

 kernel oils from the Gold Coast, Sisrre Leone and Southern 

 Nigeria were examined, and the results have been included in 

 an exhaustive article published in the Bulletin of the Imper- 

 ial Institute, Vol. VII, p. 357, which also contains sugges- 

 tions for the improvement of the oil palm industries of West 

 Africa. 



Specimens of palm fruits from Nyasaland and Uganda 

 were also examined. 



Among other products examined may be mentioned 

 Ceara rubber seed from Uganda, seeds of Trichilia emetica 

 from Nya.saland, Benni seeds (sesame) from Northern Nigeria, 

 seeds of CalophyUum Wiijhtianum from India, and M'fucuta 

 seed from Mozamliique. 



A large number of enquiries were received from mer- 

 chants, manufacturers and others with reference to the 

 cultivation, production, and export of various oil seeds, as 

 well as to the properties of the different oils, and the 

 machinery employed in their manufacture. Several speci- 

 mens were received for identification. (From Colonial 

 Report!^, Annual, No. 687, p. 29.) 



THE CUBAN TOBACCO CROP. 



The total receipts of tobacco from the country since 

 January 1, 1911, amount to 193,401 bales, of which 120,810 

 came from Vuelta Abajo, 8,843 from Semi-Vuelta, 15,221 

 from Partido, 43,349 from Remedios, and 5,178 from 

 Mayari (Oriente). 



The tobacco situation in Havana is rather trying from 

 the viewpoint of the buyer, as prices range from 10 to 30 per 

 cent, higher than for the same grades last year, and the 

 supply at even these prices is decidedly limited. 



A factor which makes the position of the American 

 manufacturer of cigars who uses Cuban tobacco at times 

 very difticult is that the American taste is for a light- 

 coloured leaf, and very often it is extremely diflScult for the 

 manufacturer to obtain enough light leaf, owing to various 

 conditions in the Cuban production. Tobacco experts here 

 insist that the light-coloured leaf is really not fully matured, 

 and does not possess the fine flavour of the darker grades. 



Consul General Kodgers, Havana, reports the produc- 

 tion of tobacco in Cuba during the past three years as 

 follows : — 



1908, 1909, 1910, 



Districts. bales. bales. bales. 



Vuelta Abajo 257,628 220,458 189,728 

 Semi-Vuelta 24,519 28,868 21,485 



Partida 38,843 33,824 27,905 



SantaClara 192,874 162,1^8 91,231 



Matanzas 445 428 732 



Camaguey 12,522 9,089 7,194 



The average price of tobacco per 100 ft. in Cuba in 

 March 1911, was: first class $.50, second class $32 and third 

 class $18. (From the Cuba Review, October 1911, p. 19.) 



