OILS 269 



table tallow. The seeds contain 20 per cent, of a good drying 

 oil which absorbs 12 per cent, of oxygen within 8 days. The 

 oil is used for lighting purposes in China and is not exported 

 except in small quantities. 



Hemp-seed oil is obtained by pressure from the seed of the 

 common hemp (Cannabis sativa). Hemp is grown for this 

 purpose in Algeria, India, and Formosa, as well as in parts 

 of Europe and the United States. Seeds contain 30 per cent, 

 of oil. Hemp-seed oil is light green or greenish-yellow in 

 color. It is chiefly used as a paint or varnish oil but also in 

 making green soft soaps. As a drying oil it possesses fair 

 quality. Large quantities of hemp-seed oil are produced in 

 Europe and still larger quantities are imported from China. 



Gynocardia oil is derived from the seed of a large tree 

 (G. odorata), native of Assam and Sikkim. The seeds yield 

 about 19 per cent, of a good quality of drying oil. For many 

 years the seeds of this tree were also supposed to be the source 

 of Chaulmoogra oil, but this oil is now known to be derived 

 from another source. 



Safflower oil is obtained from the seed of the safflower 

 '(Carthamus tinctorius). The safflower is still quite generally 

 cultivated in India, Egypt, Caucasus, and Turkestan. Saf- 

 flower seeds yield 17 per cent, of oil by pressure. The actual 

 percentage of oil which can be extracted by gasoline is about 

 28. Safflower oil is used for culinary purposes in India and 

 also for paint and soap manufacture and in the preservation of 

 leather and ropes. It has been found that safflower oil boiled 

 slowly for 4 hours makes an excellent waterproofing material. 

 In the Bombay Presidency, safflower is the most important 

 oil-seed crop. The area devoted to the plant has been some- 

 what restricted since the flowers are no longer used so much 

 as a source of dye. The oil obtained by cold pressure is pale 

 yellow. It has a good drying quality but cannot entirely re- 

 place linseed oil. The area planted to safflower in the Bombay 

 Presidency is about 600,000 acres. Quite extensive plantings 



