RUSA OIL 



Expanding 

 Production. 



Bombay. 



IC'i m l-iii ' )il. 



CYMBOPOOON 



MARTINI 

 Production 



rolil water. At tin- roiirlusion of the process the condensed fin id is poured 

 ' wiili'-mouthed vessel and permitted to stand for some time, 

 \\li.-n (In- oil may be skimmed off the surface with a small spoon. 



The plant is cut across when it begins to flower and bound into 

 * 1 1 mil bundles or maniples, 250 to 300 of which are placed in the boiler PUntp 

 and so iiuu-li water poured over them as to leave a sufficient space for 

 flmllit ion. The process occupies about six hours, and there is a succession 

 attendants so that the charge is repeated about four times every twenty- 

 hours, and about one seer of oil is thus obtained. In passing through 

 hands of the traders this oil is largely adulterated with gingelly oil. 

 From the various reports that have been published by the Forest De- 

 tmcnt it would seem that a great improvement has taken place, with 

 corresponding expansion of the production, in the Central Provinces. 

 the Annual Report of that Department for 1903 it is stated that the 

 idustry appears to be extending in Nimar, whilst it has been carried to 

 etui, Hoshangabad, Mandla and Seoni. It is then added that there is no 

 son why it should not become an important industry. A. D. Bhote 

 res in the Indian Forester (1901, xxvii., 602) an interesting account of the 



oil industry of Hoshangabad. He says that 500 Ib. of dry grass yield Yield. 

 Ib. of pure oil. Schimmel & Co. mention a case where 373 Ib. of grass 

 jin Khandesh distilled in Bombay gave 1 Ib. 5J oz. of oil. 



Bombay. The production of this oil was fostered by the Muham- 

 madan rulers of the Deccan, hence Khandesh oil came to be more spoken 

 than that of Nimar. Some writers in Europe would appear to have 

 >ught Nimar and Khandesh were one and the same place. [Cf. Sawer, 

 rography, 46.] Speaking of the Khandesh industry, the Gazetteer 

 fords useful particulars. It would seem that the original seat of the 

 lustry in that province was Pimpalner, but the manufacture has spread 

 Nandurbar, Shahada and Taloda. The makers are Muhammadans, 

 10, at the close of the rains (about September), as the grass is maturing, 

 ly it from the Bhils, stack it, and set furnaces on the banks of the brooks 

 lere wood and water are plentiful. The distillation pursued is in all 

 ?ntial points the same as that of Nimar, except that when the cauldron 

 rhich serves as a condenser begins to vibrate, it is removed from the 

 un, emptied and refixed. The fluid from the condenser is stirred 

 itil the oil begins to form. To make very strong oil, the contents of 

 le condenser are redistilled ; the oil which forms on the surface is 

 len skimmed off and the distillate used as the water for a fresh charge 

 the still. The oil is packed in skins and sent over the Kundaibari Pass Packed in suns. 

 Surat or vid Dhulia and Mammad to Bombay. 



Berar. While touring in Berar (Ellichpur district in 1894) I devoted Berar. 

 >me attention to the rusa oil manufacture at Muktagiri. Four stills 

 irere found by me fitted into a furnace with their condensers submerged 

 a stream. The plant used was C. Martini, Stapf, found on the dry 

 ly slopes around the distillery. The crop had been cut and stacked, Distillation. 

 snding the termination of the rains. During the time of my visit in 

 )ecember it was being distilled. The flowering tops had been cut and 

 ied into pulis or bundles, each containing from 60 to 80 stalks ; five 

 of these were tied into a larger bundle ; 20 of these larger bundles were 

 counted as 100. Into the boiler from 230 to 350 pulis were placed, and 

 packed transversely. Over this was poured four kerosene tins of water. 

 Each charge was said to yield 3]pJiataks, or one-fifth seer of oil. The dis 



453 



Redistillation. 



Yield ol Oil. 



