58 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 2. 



For the new Genesee Farmer. 



Castor Oil Beans-"Kicinus. 



The cultivotora of the soil, nrid iiuleeil nil classes of 

 citizens, Lave reason to rejoice that this invaluable 

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

 sccount in the domestic econoiny ol every househeep- 

 er. If there is any truth in the following statement 

 taken from the Peoria (III.) press, the composition de- 

 Bcribed below may serve the whole country as a sub- 

 etitnte fur sperm. 



" An important difeovcry was made about ten 

 years ago, by Mr. leanc Smith, of Eaatville, Nonli- 

 ainpion county, Va. which enabled him to render castor 

 oil equal if not superior to the best sperm for burning 

 in lumps, and for which he intended to take out a pa- 

 tent. This he never did, and permission has since 

 been given to make the improvement known for the 

 beieiitof the public. The method of preparing the 

 oil is, merely to mi,\ with it spirits of 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 demand 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 excellence, 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 flame, there is no fire remaining 

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

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

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

 ■trong similarity to that of a gas light. But it burns 

 perleclly free from smoke or the least degree of ofl^en- 

 sive smell — emits a clear and powcrltd 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 mnnu- 

 factunrs ot pure " U/.cum 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- 

 pof'ed from the West Indies. This, as well as a 

 thousf^d other articles sent to us from abroad, ought 

 to be prduccd iit home and largely exported. Good 

 oil is now worth by the quantity in New York one 

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

 obtained from . luishel of beans. Land well adapted 

 to their growth, and ,.,-operly cultivated, will yield in 

 this latitude from twenly-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 ol 

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

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

 etable oils, to become rancid, arises mainly from the 

 mucilage which is intimately blended with it when ex- 

 pressed. Mucilage is quite insoluble in boiling wa- 

 ter, bonce 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 ot this should be carefully removed with a skim- 

 mer into a vessel tor luriher purification. The skim- 

 ming sliould be continued during ebulition 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 fire, otherwise it will burn. 

 It should then be put up in clean tight bottles or casks. 

 and is ready for market. Other oils may be purified 

 B the earns wajr. 



There are but few farmers who could not find room 

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

 without interfering materially with their other farm- 

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

 soil, and as early in the spring as can be 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 establishment erected at Peoria, for the 

 manufacture of castor oil, the propiietors of which of- 

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

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

 terprise. Yours truly, D. L. 

 Buffalo, March, 1841. 



Query.— AVllI llie liidnus tlirive and produce seed to ad- 

 vantage, in jis roUl a i-Iiiiiale as of iliis State?— Eds. 



For the ISem Genesee Farmer, 

 Cheap Laboratory. 



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

 to the question on the articles and cost of apparatus 

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

 submit the following. It is difTicuIt indeed to give 

 any very defini te 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 difKcult, 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 Illustrations of Chemistry. 

 Pyrometer to show expansion of solids, 

 2 Bolt heads " " liquids, 5a 



6 Florence Flasks for boiling liquids, 6d 

 Wires for showing conduction of caloric, 



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

 Pair of Tin Mirrors for reflecting caloric, 4 50 

 Ball for do 4s, and Air Theimometer,4s,l 00 



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



rings, $2, 

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

 Fire pump or air condensing Fire Engine, 

 2 pint Retorts 6s, and 2 half pints 4s, 



4 00 



1 25 



37 



1 00 



2 18 



3 00 

 1 00 

 1 25 



1 Gas bottle $1 , and Tin pipe to conduct gas 4», 1 50 

 Gun barrel for procuring oxygen, I 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, i 25 



Small gazometer to hold oxygen, 3 00 



Or two small gazomcters in a small cistern to 



hold oxygen and hydrogen, 4 OO 



And compound Blow-pipe for the brilliant ex- 



])eriments, 4 go 



Tin pipe for burning stream of hydrogen, 50 



And 2 glass tubes for musical tones, 75 



Iron turnings for hydrogen, 25 



Bottlesof acids and alkalies, 2 00 



The preceding articles wouldennble 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 os 

 would bebestsuited 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. 



It It is wished to add experiments in Galvanism, I 

 shall be happy to give any information in my povrer. 



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. DEWEY. 

 March, 1841. 



Hints to Western 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- 

 mi 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 Pille, (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 igi 

 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 Ds 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 tlie Albanij C'uttitator, 



1%. YORK STATE AG. SOCIETY 



Albany, Feb. 10, 1841. 



Pursuant to public notice, the New York State Ag 

 ricultural Society met at Knickerbocker Hall at Alba 

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

 absent, Alkxanoer Wilsh, Esq., one of the Vice 

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

 pointed Secretary pro tem. A quorum being present, 

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

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

 received, read, and accepted. 



The Constitution of the Society being called for, 

 was read, when several amendments were proposed 

 by Mcfsrs. Tucker, Nott and Fuller, which, after 

 discussion, wereadopted, and the revised Constitution 

 directed to be published as follows: — 



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



As Amended Feb. 10, 1841. 



The style of this society shall be " The New York 

 State Agricultural Society;" its objects shall be to 

 improve the condition of agriculture, horticulture, 

 and the household arts. 



See 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. 



"The presidents of county agricultural societies, or 

 a delegate from each, shall ex-officio be members of 

 this society. 



The payment of fifty dollars or more shall constitute 

 a member for life, and shall exempt the donor from 

 annual contributions. 



Sec. 2. The officers of the society shall consist of 

 a president, eight vice presidents, one to be located in 

 each Senate District; a recording secretary, a corres- 

 ponding secretary a treasurer, an executive commfitee, 

 to 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 

 repiesentatives in the house of assembly. 



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

 nutee of the society 



