I 295 ] 



409. Other economic uses. It is due to Dr. Watt that a 

 most valuable property of safflower oil has been only re- 

 cently brought to light. Boiled slowly for 4 hours the oil 

 becomes the best water proofing material hitherto known. 

 It can be mixed with black oxide of manganese, or white lead, 

 or yellow ochre, and the boiled oil so dyed applied with a 

 brush on canvas or drill, or any other cloth to convert it into 

 paulin or water proof cloth. The boiled oil poured into 

 cold water becomes a rubber-like substance which can be 

 used as a cement for sealing glass or fixing ornamental stones 

 or tiles on walls. For this purpose it is a much better 

 substance to use than Plaster of Paris. It is this rubber-like 

 substance that is applied on ornamental cloths made in the 

 Punjab, to preserve the ornamentations in tact. A small 

 proportion (say I : 400) of arsenic should be used if the 

 rubber-like substance is meant to keep out the attack of 

 insects permanently. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



MINOR OILSEEDS. 



TTELIANTHUS annus (sunflower). Sunflower oil is also 

 used in Europe as a substitute for olive and almond oil 

 for cullinary and table uses and it is largely used in Russia. 

 For candle and soap-making it is superior to most oils. Sun- 

 flower seed and oil-cake are a valuable food for cattle. 

 Poultry, pigeons and rabbits are specially fond of the seed. 

 Experiments conducted in India have shown that it is a costly 

 crop to grow. The leaves and stalks are eaten by cattle and 

 they make a fairly good manure. The stalks may be also 

 used as fuel and the ashes employed as a potash manure. 



