58 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2. 



For the yew Genesee Farmer. 



Castor Oil Beans—Ricinus. 



The cultivators of the soil, and indeed all claeees of 

 citizens, have reason to rejoice that this invaluable 

 medicinal seed, is likely to be turned to a very useful 

 account in the domestic economy of every househeep- 

 er. If there is any truth in the following statement 

 taken from the Peoria(Ill.) press, the composition de. 

 scribed below may serve the whole country as a sub- 

 stitute for sperm. 



"An important discovery was made about ten 

 years ago, by Mr. Isaac Smith, of Eastville, North- 

 ampton county, Va. which enabled him to render castor 

 oil equal if not superior to the best sperm for burning 

 in lamps, and for which be intended to take out a pa- 

 tent. This he never did, and permission has since 

 been given to make the improvement known for the 

 benefit of the public. The methed of preparing the 

 oil is, merely to mi,x with it spirits oi turpentine, 

 with which it readily combines; in proportion of one 

 of the latter to four of the former. 



*' Now, since sperm oil is becoming scarcer, and 

 the deniand for it increases, the citizens of the west 

 especially will find it to their interest to take advan- 

 tage of the knowledge of this composition. 



** As to its excclfence, there is but one opinion 

 among those who have tried it. A lamp filled with 

 this composition will burn four or five hours without 

 the slightest appearance of crust upon the wick, and 

 on extinguishing the Hame, there is no fire remaining 

 in the wick, as is generally the ease with sperm oil, 

 except of the very best quality — indeed, in the extin- 

 guishing and re-lighting a lamp of this oil, there is a 

 eirong similarity to that of a gas light. But it burns 

 perfectly free from smoke or the least degree of ofien- 

 eive smell — emits a clear and powerful light, and 

 never congeals in the coldest weather." 



The main difficulty experienced by those who have 

 undertaken to cultivate the castor bean in a small way 

 in this latitude, has arisen from a want of knowledge 

 how to purify the newly expressed oil, so as to prevent 

 its becoming very rancid and unfit for use. Perhaps 

 a plain and concise explanation of this process which 

 has long been held as an important secre; by the manu- 

 facturers of pure *' Olemn Ricini' maybe of service 

 to some of your numerous readers. 



This oil is extracted from the bean either by soak- 

 ing it in boiling water and then subjecting it to a 

 weighty pressure; or by bruising the seed and expres- 

 sing the oil cold. The latter is called cold expressed, 

 and the former hot expressed oil, in the market. Most 

 of the castor oil consumed in the United States is im- 

 ported from the West Indies. This, as well as a 

 thousand other articles sent to us from abroad, ought 

 to be produced at home and largely exported. Good 

 oil is now worth by the quantity in New York one 

 dollar and thirty-eight cents a gallon, which can be 

 obtained from a bushel of beans. Land well adapted 

 to their growth, and properly cultivated, will yield in 

 this latitude from twenty-five to thirty-five bushels to 

 the acre. The expense of growing and harvesting 

 does not greatly exceed that of an acre of corn. The 

 press and other machinery used for the manufacture of 

 linseed oil w'll answer very well for making castor oil. 

 The proneness of this oil, and indeed of all fixed veg- 

 etable oils, to become rancid, arises mainly from ibe 

 mucilage which is intimately blended with it when ex- 

 pressed. Mucilage is quite insoluble in boiling wa- 

 ter, honce if we put crude oil and water together in 

 the proportion of five quarts of water to four gallons 

 of oil and gradually heat them over a moderate fire, 

 the mucilage will rise to the surface in a thick scum. 

 All of this should be carefully removed with a skim- 

 mer into a vessel for further purification. The skim- 

 ming should be continued during ebulilion as long as 

 any scum arises. The boiling should be kept up un- 

 til all the water is evaporated, when the oil should be 

 removed from over the the, otherwise it will burn. 

 It should then be put up in clcon tight bottles or casks, 

 and is ready for market. Other oils may be purified 

 in the same wa^. 



There are but few farmers who could not find room 

 and time to cultivate an acre or two of the castor bean 

 VN'ithout interfering materiolly with their other farm- 

 ing operations. It should be planted on a warm, rich 

 8oil, and OS eorly in the spring as can he done and es- 

 cape frosts. The hills and rows ought to be about 

 four feet apart. In warmer climates they are placed 

 five feet asunder, because the plants grow much larger 

 than they will in Western New York. 



There is an estoblishmcnt erected at Peoria, for the 

 manufacture of castor oil, the proprietors of which of- 

 fer to contract for all the beans they can obtain at one 

 dollar a bushel. May the boat success attend the en- 

 terprise. Yours truly, D. L. 



Buffalo, March, 1841. 



Query.— "Will the Ricitius tlirivc nnd produce seed to ad- 

 vantage, in ns cold .-i climate as ol'lliis State?— Ed3. 



For the j\ew Uenesee Farmer. 



Cheap Laboratory. 



Messrs. Editors: — As you have not given a reply 

 to the question on the articles and cost of apparatus 

 for a cheap laboratory such as a farmer would need, I 

 submit the following. It is difficult indeed to give 

 any very definite statement, because the object designed 

 to be accomplished by the apparatus is not stated. I 

 suppose, however, that the mere examination of soils, 

 as the amlysis is rather diflicult, long, and perplexing, 

 is not the object. Should that alone be the object, a 

 few crucibles, tumblers, wine glasses, plates and vials, 

 with tongs for handling the crucibles, and scales for 

 weighing accurately to half a grain, would be necessa- 

 ry, and cost two or three dollars. To these should be 

 added several small bottles of chemical tests, such as 

 acids, alkalies, nitrate of silver, oxalate of potash or 

 ammonia, which cost three dollars more, and for the 



whole, $6 00 



For General lllintrations of Chemistry. 



Pyrometer to show expansion of solids, 4 00 



2 Bolt heads " " liquids, .5a 1 25 



6 Florence Flasks for boiling liquids, 6d 37 



Wires for showing conduction of caloric, 1 00 



2 Air Thermometers, 20c, and 1 Farenheit, $3, 3 20 

 Pair of Tin Mirrors for reflecting caloric, 4 50 

 Ballfor do 4s, and Air Theimometer,4s,l 00 



3 feet of Glass rods, 18d, and Iron stand and 

 rings, $2, 2 18 



Argand'slamp $2 50, and spirit lamp 50c, 3 00 



Fire pump or air condensing Fire Engine, 1 00 



2 pint Retorts Cs, and 2 half pints 4s, 1 25 



1 Gas bottle §1, and Tin pipe to conduct gas 4s, 1 50 

 Gun barrel for procuring oxygen, 1 00 



Or an Iron bottle for the same, 2 00 



And 6 feet lead pipe to conduct it, 50 



1 pint receiver closed at top, or large tumbler, 37 

 1 quart receiver with ground stopple to burn 



Iron wire in oxygen, 1 25 



Small gazometer to hold oxygen, 3 00 



Or two small gnzometers in a small cistern to 



hold oxygen and hydrogen, 4 00 



And compound Blow-pipe for the brilliant ex- 



I>eriment8, 4 60 



Tin pipe for burning stream of hydrogen, 50 



And 2 glass tubes for musical tones, 75 



Iron turnings for liydrog.n, 25 



Bottlesof acids and alkalies, 2 00 



The preceding articles would enable a man of some 

 experience, to perform a great many experiments. — 

 Most of the articles wear out with use, and some break 

 easily. Some knowledge of chemistry will enable the 

 enquirer to select from the preceding such articles as 

 would be best suited to his object. The whole amounts 

 to less than fifty dollars. A good selection might be 

 made for thirty dollars. I have been willing on this 

 account to give the articles more numerous than may 

 be desired. 



If it is wished to add experiments in Galvanism, I 

 shall be happy to give any Information in my power. 



It is ardently to be desired that some of our independ- 

 ent farmers might succeed in establishing small labor- 

 atories, and in exhibiting the more common and gen- 

 eral parts of chemical knowledge. C. D. 

 March, 1841. 



Hints to ^Vestem Emigrants. 



Drink cold tea, or buttermilk diluted with water, 

 but no whiskey. Go out of your ploughed and new- 

 ly cleared fields before the sun is down, and the miar- 

 ini begins to rise, and keep in doors in the morning 

 until the sun has dispersed the same. 



In hot weather make a fire in your house every 

 evening, to dry and cleanse the air. For ordinary 

 medicine, drink strong boneset tea; if very bilious, 

 take Gregory's Pillp, (not the spurious sort,) they con- 

 tain antimony, but no calomel. 



Few and simple as are the above directions, had 

 they been strictly followed, many lives might have 

 been saved, and hundreds of congestive fevers pre- 

 vented. 



The history of deaths by fever at the west, is but a 

 combined detail of gross neglect and still grosser ig> 

 norance. Some men think that as long as they have 

 a morbid appetite to eat, they have no need of medi- 

 cine or a physician; and when a physician is called, 

 he is looked upon as a magician whose office it is to 

 raise the dead. 



I once asked a physician how one of his patients 

 got along. He is very sick said he, but he will 

 not die, for his wife is a better physician than I am, 

 and all of a nurse to boot. I asked in relation to an- 

 other patient. He is not dangerously sick, said he, 

 but I fear they will kill him — dont you think they were 

 trying to feed him toasted cheese and fried cakr. 



GENESEE. 



From the Albany Cultivator, 



N. YORK STATE AG. SOCIETY. 



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Albany, Feb. 10, 1841. 



Pursuant to public notice, the N^w York State Ag 

 ricultural Society met at Knickerbocker Hall at Alba 

 ny, this day at 11 o'clock A. M. The Present being 

 absent, Alexander Walsh, Esq., one of the Vice 

 Presidents, took the chair, and Jesse Bcel was ap- 

 pointed Secretary pro tem. A quorum bi in J present, 

 the minutes of the last meeting were read. The Re- 

 poit of the Treasurer, C. N. Bement, Esq., was then 

 reci ived, read, and accepted. 



The Constitution of the Society being called for,, "*" 

 was read, when several amendments were proposed 

 by Messrs. Tucker, Nott and Fuller, which, after ^ 

 discussion, were adopted, and the revised Constitution! ™ 

 directed to be published as follows: — •" 



11! ll 



Constitution of the N. Y. State Ag. Society* loa 



As Amended Feb. 10, 1841. 



The style of this society shall be " The New York|'*'i 

 Stale Agricultural Society;" its objects shall be to 

 improve the condition of agriculture, horticulture, 

 and the household arts. 



Sec 1. The society shall consist of such citizens of 

 the State as shall signify, in writing, their wish to be- 

 come members, and shall pay on subscribing not less 

 than one dollar, and also of honorary and correspond- 

 ing members. Itnj/ 



The presidents of county agricultural societies, of Vii-^ 

 a delegate from each, shall ex-olficio be members ofi kj-!j 

 this society. . JL, 



The payment of fifty dollars or more shall constitnMw [ 

 member for life, and shall exempt the donor fromi ^ 

 annual contributions. 



Sec. 2. The officers of the society sholl consist of- 

 a president, eight vice presidents, one to be loca;ed in 

 each Senate District; a recording secretary, a corres- 

 ponding sccretarya treasurer, an executive committee, 

 10 consist of the officers above named and five addi- 

 tional members, of whom three shall form a quorum, 

 and a general committee, the members of which shall 

 be located in the several counties, and be equal to the 

 representatives in the house of assembly. 



Sec. 3. The recording secretary shall keep the mi-' 

 nutes of the society. 



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