CASTOft-OIL SEED — CATIAPA OTL. 257 



Castor-oil seed (Ricinus communis) . — In the climate and soil 

 of Trinidad the castor-oil plant grows to the height of twelve and 

 twenty feet. There are two varieties, the reel and the white, 

 distinguishable not only by the colour of the plant and its 

 pedicles, which is violet in the one and whitish green in the 

 other, but by several other characteristics. The red castor-oil 

 plant is more vigorous, its seeds larger, and of a darker hue : the 

 seeds of the white, though smaller, are in general more plump, 

 and also contain, as is asserted, more oil. The castor-oil plant is 

 not cultivated here with a view to commerce, but many poor 

 people have two or three trees near their houses from which to 

 prepare their own oil. In this preparation they follow the old 

 system : — The seeds are grilled, then crushed and formed into a 

 paste, which is afterwards boiled in water ; this mixture is allowed 

 to cool, the oil skimmed off, and again boiled. Oil obtained by 

 this process is of a dark colour, has a strong scent and taste, and, 

 as a purgative, is somewhat irritating. The best plan, certainly, 

 is to crush the seeds and express the oil from the paste by means 

 of a screw-press; but an improvement on the former plan, 

 although not rendering it equal to the latter, would be to crush 

 the seeds without grilling, and then boil the paste, as already 

 mentioned. The seeds of the castor-oil plant might be exported 

 to England with advantage, for it is very prolific, requires but 

 little or no attention, and the gathering of the seed is a most 

 simple task. 



Carapa oil, yielded by Carapa Guianensis, and C. Touloucouna. 

 —The carapas are lofty forest and timber trees, bearing pods as 

 large as a husked coco-nut, and containing from twelve to 

 fourteen seeds of the size of the walnut. The seeds are gathered 

 in June and July, boiled for about six hours, then laid in heaps 

 for eight or ten days, during which time they undergo a sort of 

 fermentation ; they are then broken, and the pulp they contain 

 carefully taken out and kneaded into lumps of thick paste, each 

 about fifteen pounds. This paste is laid on boards slightly 

 incurvated and inclined, and placed in a sheltered place, when 

 the oil oozes through the mass, and runs into a vessel placed for 

 its reception. The paste is carefully remoulded every morning 

 and evening, so as to favour the disengagement of the oil. After 

 twelve days, boiling water is poured on the mass, and a fresh 

 quantity of oil of inferior quality is thereby obtained. One 



