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information. D. I. Bushnell & Co., of St. Louis, dealers in flax, cas- 

 tor, hemp, sunflower, and other oil seeds, in response to my inquiry, 

 write as follows: 



Answering yours of the 20th instant, I do not think there has ever been any sun- 

 flower oil made in the United States. Some years ago it was tried, but without suc- 

 cess. The porous shells of the seeds absorb the greatest portion of the oil, and 

 therefore we think sunflower seed as grown in the United States hardly suitable to 

 the manufacture of oil. 



In response to a request for information in regard to the manufac- 

 ture of sunflower oil in the United States, the Oil Seed Pressing Com- 

 pany, of New York, sent the following letter: 



Your esteemed favor of the 5th duly received, and in reply to same would state 

 that we have never engaged in the practical manufacture of oil from sunflower seed. 

 We pressed up one or two small lots, but the result was very unsatisfactory, and it 

 was done so long ago that we forget the details, and did not retain either the cake 

 or oil. 



Any other information we have bearing on this subject we have obtained from a 

 report of the United States consul to Russia. We do not think that the manufacture 

 of sunflower oil will ever become an industry in the United States, as we have not 

 found or seen samples of seed containing a sufficient quantity of oil to pay the cost of 

 manufacture. 



The large product of cotton-seed and corn oils, with their low prices, seems to fill 

 the wants of the people, and not to leave room for anything new. 



It is seen that the general impression which prevails in the minds of 

 many to the effect that sunflower oil is manufactured in a commercial 

 way in the United States is erroneous. The impression, however, is 

 shared by the Board of General Appraisers at the port of New York, 

 which decided that sunflower seed was imported into this country for 

 oil-making purposes, and therefore was dutiable. The opinion of the 

 General Appraisers is as follows: 



The General Appraisers have decided that these seeds are entitled to free admission, 

 under paragraph 656, as a flower seed. They were assessed for duty at 30 per cent 

 ad valorem under paragraph 254 as seed "n. s. p. f." The General Appraisers held 

 that they are a flower seed, and therefore free, the law providing that flower and 

 grass seeds n. s. p. f. are free. 



It is our opinion that these seeds are imported for the purpose of expressing oil 

 which we believe to be used for adulteration of some kind. The reason for this 

 opinion is that it is very difficult to ascertain what becomes of the seed. We do not 

 believe that the sunflower is raised for its beauty, but rather that the seeds are cul- 

 tivated for some such purpose as above indicated. I would therefore respectfully 

 recommend that the Department of Agriculture be asked to make this merchandise 

 the subject of special investigation. 



To this request the Secretary of Agriculture made the following 

 reply : 



NOVEMBER 24, 1899. 

 The SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY. 



SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st instant, 

 inclosing a communication from the United States appraiser at the port of New York 

 in re sunflower seed. 



