222 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



of great consequence, and would be injured by the 

 brown hue of linseed oil. In the warm climate of 

 the south of Europe the hazel and the walnut reach 

 their full perfection, and will yield by proper manage- 

 ment as much as half their weight of oil. The 

 flavour of this, when fresh, is very agreeable, while 

 it remains fluid at a much lower temperature than 

 olive oil. Its specific gravity is somewhat greater, 

 being from '923 to '947. 



It is very generally used for culinary purposes in 

 lieu of olive oil, at Geneva, in the Pays de Vaud, 

 and other parts of Switzerland. 



BEECH OIL. 



Beech oil is another vegetable substance which is 

 occasionally, though not very commonly, used in the 

 composition of varnishes. This is extracted from 

 the mast or fruit of the beech-tree, the kernel of 

 which, being divested of its shell, is pulverized and 

 then subjected to pressure. This nut does not con- 

 tain oil very abundantly. In England the beech 

 mast does not arrive at sufficient maturity to yield 

 oil in a quantity sufficient to repay the labour neces- 

 sary for extracting it. But in some parts of France 

 and Germany the process is carried on to good effect, 

 the kernels usually producing .fifteen per cent, of 

 their weight of a clear light oil, and twelve per cent, 

 of a second-rate quality. Its specific gravity is the 

 same as nut oil. 



PALM OIL. 



Palm oil is obtained from the fruit of some species 

 of palm growing in several places in Africa, especially 

 in Senegal. The two trees which principally pro- 

 duce this oil are the Cocos bulyracea and the Elceis 



