370 



The World's Commercial Products 



conveyed to the " linters," a type of 

 saw-gin in which the saws are placed 

 very close together, and here the 

 short • lint, that would otherwise soak 

 up the oil, is removed. The next 

 process is the shelling of the seed, 

 which is performed in the " hullers," 

 composed of an outer cylinder and 

 an inner drum, in both of which 

 knives are set. The rapidly- revolv- 

 ing knives break the shells and partly 

 cut up the kernels or " meats." The 

 mixture of hulls and meats is then 

 conveyed to a revolving screen, 

 through which the kernels pass while 

 the hulls mostly remain behind, but 

 a further separation is effected on an 

 &m ItiM oscillating separator or '•shaker/' 



The hulls, owing to the persistent 

 hairs, fall together in lumps and 

 collect on top, while the meats fall 

 through. 



The kernels or meats are crushed 

 between heavy iron rollers and then 

 carried .off to the heaters, steam- 

 jacketed kettles, provided with 

 stirrers to . keep the temperature 

 even. From the kettles the meats 

 are taken to:the "former," a machine 

 that shapes the meats into cakes. 

 The cakes, wrapped in hair cloths, are now packed into presses and. subjected to a pressure 

 of from 3,000 to 4,000 lbs. to the square inch. The oil is squeezed, out and run off, while the 

 cakes are pressed as hard as boards. The oil is pumped into a settling tank, where the 

 impurities gradually subside to the bottom and theclear oil is drawn off above. "The settlings 

 or " foots " are either passed through the press again or are' sold for soap manufacture. 



The oil-cake is, after the oil, the most important product obtained, and realises about one- 

 fourth the price of oil. The value of oil-cake mixed with hulls as a food for fattening cattle 

 has gradually been realised in the United States, but the bulk. of the oil-cake is still exported. 

 Sesamum or Gingelly. The cultivation of Sesamum indicum, the plant yielding sesame 

 oil, can be traced back to a remote antiquity. It is an erect growing herb somewhat similar 

 to the Betony, with opposite leaves" and yellow or pinkish* flowers. • The "small flat seeds vary 

 in colour from white to reddish-brown or black. ' The seeds contain about fifty per cent, 

 of oil. 



India is the largest grower of Sesamum, or, as it is there called, " gingelly," and while some 

 of the seed is expressed .in India,, the bulk is shipped to Marseilles. Gingelly is a bland oil, 

 nearly colourless and without smell. . If carefully prepared it keeps sweet and is used in India 

 for cooking purposes, for anointing, the body, for illumination, and in the manufacture of soap. 

 Sesamum is also cultivated in Siam, Ghina, and Asia Minor, where the seeds are used to 

 flavour bread -and cake. Palestine is said to produce the finest seed, which is exported from 

 Jaffa. Marseilles is the great centre of the sesamum oil industry in Europe, but considerable 

 shipments are made to Trieste and to German ports. In Europe the product of the first 



Photo 



' Sir Harry Johnston, G.C.B., K.C.M.G. By permission of Messrs. Hutchinson & Co. 

 RAFIA VENIFERA PALMS 



