16 BULLETIN 350, "U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The color reactions obtained by the use of the various reagents 

 show some differences, yet they bear a certain fixed relationship, 

 differing usually only in intensity. From the color reactions pro- 

 duced it can not be stated that the quality of one oil is superior to 

 that of any other, but a close relationship is clearly obvious. The 

 test with fuming nitric acid and water, as prescribed in the United 

 States Pharmacopoeia 1 for the expressed almond oil, depends upon 

 the formation of a polymerized solid compound with the olein of the 

 oil. This test emphasized most strongly the similarity of cherry- 

 kernel oil to official almond oil and also to the other related oils. 



Inasmuch as almond kernels and peach and apricot kernels yield 

 fixed oils of commercial value, attention is called to the close resem- 

 blance of cherry oil to these oils. Careful inspection of the chemical 

 end physical properties has shown that, although it is not identical 

 with either almond, peach, or apricot oil, it is not ri undamentally 

 different from any of these. The variations observed may not be 

 due wholly to difference in composition, since often fixed oils from 

 the same source possess varying properties. The condition of the 

 material from which the oil is extracted and also the seasonal factors 

 are influential in affecting the ultimate quality of an oil. 



Because of this close relationship, cherry-kernel oil should there- 

 fore be adapted to the same uses for which the other oils are 

 employed. 



AVAILABLE QUANTITY OF THE FIXED OIL. 



Of first importance in connection with the possible commercial 

 utilization of waste cherry pits is the available quantity of the mate- 

 rial. A conservative estimate of a normal year's output from the 

 red sour cherries is 1,600 tons. By actual experiment it was found 

 that 28 per cent of the pits consists of kernels. On this basis there 

 would be available annually 448 tons of kernels. By the use of mod- 

 ern hydraulic presses this quantity of kernels should yield 134 tons 

 of fixed oil, or 268,000 pounds. In addition to this, there is also an 

 annual accumulation of about 650 tons of pits from the imported 

 cherries. Only 9 per cent of these pits was found to consist of 

 kernels. The quantity of kernels available from this source, there- 

 fore, would be 58.5 tons. On extraction with ether these kernels 

 yielded 50 per cent of oil. Subjected to hydraulic pressure about 45 

 per cent would be obtainable, which would give approximately 26 

 tons, or 52,000 pounds of oil. Therefore, the total quantity of fixed 

 oil available from the annual accumulation of cherry pits, both 

 domestic and imported, would be 160 tons, or 320,000 pounds. 



1 The Pharmacopoeia of the United States . . . Eighth decennial revision, p. 307. Phil- 

 Hdelphia, 1907. 



