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bear at the end of the second year. It grows with a wide head ; 

 the fruits ovoid in shape and ashy in color containing two or more 

 heart-shaped hard-shelled seeds with white kernel which contains 

 over 60% of volatile oil uninflammable without the aid of a wick. 

 The oil is rather thick, very drying, pale yellow and slightly bit- 

 ter to taste. It is useful in painting and making varnishes. It is 

 not fit for edible purposes, because of its purgative properties. 

 When warm-pressed, as is generally done in the wedge oil-press, 

 it is brown and disagreeable in taste but is a good lubricating oil. 

 Locally the oil is used only for burning in the brass lamp (pana). 



Commercial Value. 



For the above purposes it is much sought for in the United 

 Kingdom and the U. S. A. and recently there was an inquiry from 

 the Imperial Institute as to whether consignments of from 10 to 

 20 tons of the oil would be available in Ceylon. A survey in the 

 Kandy district disclosed that about 25,000 bottles would be 

 available in the season (April to July) while a merchant to whom 

 the matter was referred reported that a ton would cost Rs. 400 

 as against 600/- for coconut oil. 



The oil is extracted by first crushing the kernels in a mortar, 

 steaming the powder over a boiling pot of water and then press- 

 ing (inside a basket made of the spathe of the kitul flower) in 

 the wedge oil-press. 



Mannrial Value. 



The oil-cake contains a large quantity of nitrogenous material 

 and is highly prized as a manure, being equal if not superior to 

 castor-cake. The leaves form a valuable green manure — the de- 

 cayed leaves producing an excellent humus. The roots, so far 

 as is known, do not interfere with any other plantation on the 

 land. It is the experience of the cultivators that fields above 

 which kekuna trees stand derive much benefit from the refuse 

 of the tree — decayed leaves, rind and shell of the fruits — washed 

 in the rains. It is their experience that no artificial or other 

 organic manure is so beneficial as the oil-cake for wasted fields. 



In Ceylon there is another tree known as kekuna. It is dis- 

 tinguished by the prefix dik — as against tel — or rata — for candle- 

 nut. It is the Canarium Zeylanica of which the nuts resemble 

 the Brazil-nut. A resin is obtained from the tree and used for 

 fumigating purposes, while the kernels are used in certain sweet- 

 meats. These are found in Batticaloa, Chilaw and Rakwana 

 districts. 



Possibilities as a Commercial Product. 



The candlenut oil sells locally at between 20 and 25 cents the 

 bottle. Between 12 and 15 bottles of oil can be extracted from a 



