CASTOE OIL. 545 



Castor oil imported. Retained. 



Ibs. Ibs. 



1826 263,382 453,072 



1831 393,191 327.940 



1836 981,585 809,559 



1841 871,136 ' 732,720 



1846 3,477,168 



1849 1,084,272 



1850 3,495,632 



The imports of castor oil come chiefly from the East India Com- 

 pany's possessions, and were as follows, nearly all being retained 

 for home consumption : 



Iba. Ibs. 



1830 490,658 



1831 343,373 



1832 257,386 



1833 316,779 



1834 685,457 



1835 1,107,115 



1836 972,552 



1837 '. 957,164 



1838 837,143 



1839 916,370 



1840 1,190,173 



1841 869,947 



1842 490,156 



1843 717,696 



In 1841, 12,406 Indian maunds of castor oil were shipped from 

 Calcutta alone, and 7,906 ditto in 1842. 



In 1842, 8 cases were shipped from Ceylon, 10 in 1843, 24 in 

 1844, and 14 in 1845. 



1,439 barrels were shipped from New Orleans in 1847. The 

 quantity brought down to that city from the interior was 1,394 

 barrels in 1848, and 1,337 barrels in 1849. 



Within the last year or two, an attempt has been made to intro- 

 duce the cake obtained in expressing the seeds of the castor oil 

 plant as a manure, which is deserving attention, both because it ia 

 in itself likely to prove a serviceable addition to the list of fer- 

 tilizers which may be advantageously employed, and because it 

 may lead to the use of similar substances, which are at present 

 neglected, or thrown aside as refuse. 



The castor oil seed resembles in chemical composition the 

 other oily seeds. It consists of a mixture of mucilaginous, albu- 

 minous, and oily matters ; and the former two of these are identical 

 in constitution and general properties with the substances found 

 in linseed and rape cake, while the oil is principally distinguished 

 by its purgative properties. The cake obtained is in the form of 

 ordinary oilcake, but is at once distinguished from it by its color, 

 and by the large fragments of the husk of the seeds which it 

 contains. It is also much softer, and may be easily broken down 

 with the hand. I have analysed two samples of castor cake, 

 stated to have been obtained by different processes ; and though 

 I have not been informed of the exact nature of these processes, 

 I infer, from the large quantity of oil, that one must have been 

 cold-drawn. The first of the following analyses is that of he 

 sample which I believe the cold-drawn. It is the most complete 

 of the two, and contains a determination of the amount of oil. 

 In the other analysis this was not done, but there was no doubt 

 on my mind that its quantity was much smaller. 



2 N 



