126 AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE. 



corn-land, prepared as for a crop of maize. Plant the seed 

 about five feet apart, in rows ; the rows, for the convenience 

 of cultivation, may be from 10 to 12 feet apart. The seed 

 is hardy, and the young plants appear above ground in 

 from 10 to 14 days. No other crop can be grown between 

 the rows, as the castor oil is a decided surface rooter and 

 rapid grower. The smoothing or back-toothed harrow, the 

 horse hoe, or a shallow cultivator is run between the rows to 

 keep down grass, weeds, &c. With moderately fair treat- 

 ment, in six months after planting we have trees from 8 to 

 12 feet in height. The fruit is borne in clumps of small 

 rough seed-vessels. As the seed ripens, the covering cases 

 commence to split open. Then is the time to gather. Some 

 varieties " pop," or fly open, and the seed is scattered out 

 on the ground. Others have to be forced open. It is the 

 task of each grower to select such seed as will give him a 

 crop that will neither ' pop " too soon, nor be too stiff to 

 separate from the seed-vessels. The crop is gathered by 

 hand, and also by stretching a cloth around the tree, and 

 " yanking," or jerking off the seed with a stick. As 

 gathered, the seed is placed in a heap either under shelter 

 in the field, on a verandah, or in a barn. In any case it 

 must be surrounded with boards one foot or more in height, 

 that the seeds may not pop over. To make the stiffer ones 

 fly open, they may be beaten with anything soft. There is 

 great difference in the yield of different beans ; those that 

 are solid, and from which the oil oozes freely on being 

 pressed with the fingers, are the best. They also vary in 

 size and colour ; some are. beautifully striped and mottled ; 

 but colour is no guide to quality in the castor bean. When 

 very large, they are frequently hollow in the centre. 

 Those about the size of common coffee beans are usually 

 the best. 



Getting the Oil. The oil is obtained by bruising or 

 grinding the seed (we have seen an ordinary large-sized 

 coffee mill used for the purpose). The pulp is then put 

 into horsehair or other bags, and the oil extracted by 

 pressure as olive oil. This is the cold-drawn article of com- 

 merce. It is also extracted by simmering in vessels heated 

 by steam or fire, as described in article on vegetable oils. 



