OILS 267 



oil, and in Hawaii as kukui oil. The candlenut tree is generally 

 distributed throughout Polynesia, India, the Philippines, Java, 

 Australia, and the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. It has 

 also been introduced into the West Indies, Brazil, Florida, 

 and elsewhere. The tree has wide-spreading branches, attains 

 a height of 40 to 60 feet and is characterized by large, irregu- 

 larly lobed leaves of a pale green color and nuts about 2 inches 

 in diameter containing I or 2 seeds. 



Candlenut oil has been used for a variety of purposes. The 

 Hawaiians at one time strung the nuts together on sticks and 

 used them for lighting their houses. The natural candles 

 thus produced gave rise to the name candlenut. Candlenut 

 oil is suitable for use in the manufacture of soft soap, in the 

 preparation of varnishes, paints, and linoleum, in the manufac- 

 ture of oil colors and lacquers, and for other similar purposes. 

 The oil dries as quickly as linseed oil and appears to have 

 about an equal value. Candlenut oil has been widely used 

 in China for oiling paper used in Chinese umbrellas and for 

 other purposes. The oil is also a good wood preservative and 

 has been used on the hulls of sailing vessels and on buildings. 

 For this purpose it has been shown to remain almost intact 

 for 15 to 20 years. 



During the decade 1840 to 1850 Hawaii exported about 

 10,000 gallons of candlenut oil annually. The industry was 

 later allowed to lapse. A company has recently been or- 

 ganized in Honolulu to produce candlenut or kukui oil on a 

 commercial scale. The study of this oil at the Hawaii Ex- 

 periment Station indicated that there are about 15,000 acres 

 of candlenut trees in the Territory and that the annual yield 

 of nuts is 7 to 8 tons per acre. It was found that one laborer 

 could pick up 500 Ibs. of nuts per day in an ordinary kukui 

 forest. The average oil content of the kernel of the kukui nut 

 is 65 per cent. Since the kernel equals 30 per cent, of the 

 weight of the nut the oil constitutes 19.5 per cent, of the weight 

 of the whole nut, including the shell. About 90 per cent, of 



