156 



8H0BT AETICLES. 



Notes on two oil-beabing plants.— The Madia saliva of 



Molina is a plant of too common occurrence on the Pacific 

 Coast to need any further description here, but the fact that 

 it is a plant of economic value is perhaps seldom thought of. 

 Its discovery dates from the year 1709, when Feuillee, an 

 early French astronomer and botanist, during the course of 

 an extensive voyage of exploration found the plant on the 

 coast of Chili. It was even then in cultivation by the 

 Chilians, who used the oil obtained from its seeds for both 

 alimentary and industrial purposes. From Chili it was car- 

 ried to Germany, and about the year 1835 successful attempts 

 were made to cultivate it on a large scale. Somewhat later 

 it was introduced in France and many extravagant opinions 

 were expressed as to its economic value. In 1841 it was 

 made the subject of careful investigation by a commission 

 from the Societe Centrale d' Agriculture de la Seine Inferieure, 

 and its merits compared with those of other oil-bearing 

 plants grown at that time. The results of the investigation 

 fully confirmed the value of the plant for the production of 

 oil, but failed to show that it presented any decided advan- 

 tage over Camelina saiiva or the various varieties of Papaver 

 somniferum for that purpose. Since that time its cultivation 

 has been practically abandoned, though small quantities of 

 its oil have been met with in the European markets within 

 recent years. The Chilians, also, have given up its culture 

 since the introduction of the olive. 



Many conflicting statements have been made as to the 

 qualities of the madia oil, but the facts of the case seem to 

 be that the unrefined oil possesses an unpleasant odor and 

 taste owing to the presence of a resinous substance, which is 

 in all probability the same as that exuded by the glandular 

 hairs found on its leaves. This, however, can be removed by 

 proper methods, and the oil then becomes palatable, though 

 inferior to that of the olive or almond. 



Camelina saiiva has been traced back to a much earlier 

 date in history, as it has been identified as one of fhp nUr,f« 



