4 BULLETIN 350, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



hundred tons annually. Smaller quantities are also available in New 

 Jersey and Pennsylvania. 



From the figures given by the packers it would appear that 1,600 

 tons is a conservative estimate for the total quantity of cherry pits 

 that become available each year. This quantity will most likely in- 

 crease, owing to the increasing acreage. 



The cherry juice which results from this industry accumulates in 

 very large quantities. According to one prominent packer the quan- 

 tity of juice is estimated at about TO gallons per ton of cherries. Cal- 

 culated on the quantity of cherries pitted, it is estimated that the ap- 

 proximate output of juice is 112,000 gallons annually. At the present 

 time this by-product is entirely wasted, although several packers have 

 attempted to find some use for it. 



The pits of the imported cherries have also been discarded, and 

 often at considerable expense. About 650 tons may be considered as 

 the annual output of this waste. 



The writer was informed by nearly all the packers consulted that 

 much thought has been given to a possible utilization of the large 

 quantities of waste material and that great benefit would result and 

 an added stimulus be given to this important branch of the fruit 

 industry if a profitable utilization of the waste products could be 

 accomplished. 



Actuated, therefore, by the requests of many packers and by actual 

 observation of the large quantities of pits and juice which accumu- 

 late at the packing plants, the investigation herein described was 

 undertaken. 



COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS OBTAINABLE FROM CHERRY PITS. 



Because of the relationship of the cherry to the sweet and bitter 

 almonds and to the peach, apricot, and prune, it was not unreasonable 

 to suppose that products could be obtained from the pits of the 

 cherry similar to those obtained from the other fruits mentioned. 

 Fixed and volatile oils are at present manufactured from almonds 

 and from peach and apricot kernels. The oils from these various 

 kernels are practically identical in character and may be used for 

 similar purposes; in fact, they are so nearly alike that much of the 

 almond oil of commerce has been obtained from peach and apricot 

 kernels. The composition of the kernels from cherry pits is such as 

 to admit of the extraction of fixed and volatile oils, both possessing 

 the general characteristics of almond oils. 



The pits of the imported cherries present a somewhat different prob- 

 lem, due to the treatment of the fruit before importation. At the 

 time these cherries are picked the kernels contain presumably the 

 same constituents as the domestic cherries. The composition is nota- 



