H. E. Annett and J. N. Sen 417 



It will thus be seen that France took the bulk of the exported seed. 

 Owing to the falling oft" in the export trade, an internal market has 

 to be found for about 12,000 to 15,000 tons of poppy seed. The seed in 

 India is frequently eaten as such as it has a pleasant taste. Certain 

 quantities are fed to cattle, and fairly large quantities are used in sweet- 

 meat making and in the preparation of certain Indian foods. But it is 

 unlikely that the demand for seed in this direction will increase 

 sufficiently to use the whole of the production. 



There seems little difficulty in finding a market for poppy seed oil 

 in India. It is a drying oil, in some respects very similar to linseed oil. 

 At present it fetches a rather higher price than linseed oil. It is said to 

 be in demand in Bombay for the manufacture of certain classes of paints. 

 In any case it is used in Europe for the preparation of white paints for 

 artists 1. We believe, however, that it is being largely used to adulterate 

 ghee^. In Europe it was largely used as a salad oil and it is of interest 

 here to note that at one time it was much used in Europe to adulterate 

 olive oiF. 



A large Indian oil mill has stated that it would undertake to crush 

 any quantity of the seed provided it could be supplied at Rs 4/4/- per 

 maund (1 maund = 82-2 lb.; Rs 1/- = 2s. Od. Oct. 1919). 



The supply of oilcake in India seems in excess of the demand at 

 present and much oilcake of all kinds is being used by the mills as fuel. 

 We are proposing to test the manurial value of the cake in the coming 

 cold weather, but it is hardly likely to compete with castor cake for this 

 purpose and castor cake is now selling at about Rs 1/8/- per maund. 

 The question of its use as a foodstuff has arisen and we were asked by 

 the Opium Agent, GhazipiU', if we could undertake feeding trials. 

 Smetham* gives the following analyses of poppy seed cake and meal : 



There seems to be an opinion in some quarters that the cake is not 

 a good foodstuff. It is said by some to make animals sleepy. Kellner's 



» Lewkowitsch, Chein. Tech. of Oils, Fiits and Waxes. 11, p. 477. 



- Gliee is clarified butter and is obtained by heating butter till the greater part of its 

 moisture is evaporated. 



' Pany, Foods and Drags, 1. 



* Bulleiiu of the Imperial Institute, 1917, 15, No. 3, p. 392. 



