CHAPTER III. 

 THE GROUND-NUT. 



THE high price of butter in this country is leading now 

 to the establishment of a new industry in Great Britain 

 i.e., the crushing of monkey-nut or ground-nut kernels for 

 the extraction of a pale yellow oil, which is of great value 

 in the manufacture of margarine, for which, with butter 

 at so high a price, there is an increased demand. Ground- 

 nut oil is also used for preserving sardines and as a lubri- 

 cant and illuminator. Inquiries are being made at the 

 leading seed-crushing centres for the establishment of 

 his new branch of the oil-extracting industry, and a 

 movement has also been started to erect mills in Scotland 

 to forward the industry. The kernel of the monkey- 

 nut contains about 50 per cent, of oil, which belongs 

 to the non-drying class of oils, of which up to 40 per 

 cent, can be extracted by crushing machinery. As India, 

 Egypt, the West Coast Protectorates, both British and 

 French, East and Central Africa, Rhodesia, etc., are 

 able to supply large quantities of these monkey-nuts, 

 there is every promise of the development of a large 

 export trade in the commodity. The annual exports 

 from India and West Africa alone amount to about 

 5,000,000 ; and in the United States, every large 

 town has its " pea-nut " factory. Our French Allies 

 pay great attention to the crushing of monkey-nuts, 



and extensive crushing businesses are established at 



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