THE UTILIZATION OF CHERRY BY-PRODUCTS. 17 



USES OF THE FIXED OIL. 



Cherry oil should be adapted to all purposes for which almond, 

 peach, or apricot oil is used. Almond oil is used chiefly in pharma- 

 ceutical preparations, and the demand is considerable. Therapeuti- 

 cally, peach and apricot oils are as efficient as almond oil. Peach and 

 apricot oils have recently been manufactured in California for use as 

 edible oils and are said to excel olive oil in flavor and taste. 



VALUE OF TPIE FIXED OIL. 



The value of cherry oil would naturally depend upon its use and 

 the demand for oils of this character. The importation of sweet and 

 bitter almond oil for the year ended June 30, 1914, was 38,586 pounds, 

 valued at SSG^SO. 1 The price of peach-kernel oil has ranged from 22 

 cents a pound in 1913 to 45 cents in 1915. No data are available re- 

 garding the extent of the importation of this oil or of apricot oil, 

 although it is known that large quantities are imported annually. 



VOLATILE OIL. 



METHOD OF EXTRACTION. 



The volatile oil does not exist as such in the kernels, but is the 

 result of glucosidal hydrolysis, the glucosid amygdalin reacting with 

 the ferment emulsin in the presence of water. It is one of the com- 

 paratively few oils which are obtained only after chemical reaction 

 has taken place. 



The first step necessary in extracting the volatile oil from the 

 kernels was to produce the reaction between the glucosid amygdalin 

 and the ferment emulsin under conditions which would insure a 

 complete formation of the oil. This was best accomplished by the 

 method formulated in a previous investigation, 2 which in substance 

 is as follows: To one part of the ground kernels or press cake add 

 two or three parts of lukewarm water, and macerate with frequent 

 agitation for about one hour, after which pass steam, under slight 

 pressure, into the mixture and distill until approximately four parts 

 of distillate are obtained. The volatile oil, which is heavier than 

 water, will separate on the bottom of the receiving vessel. The 

 upper aqueous distillate, which is saturated with the oil in solution, 

 can be drawn off and subjected to distillation by the direct application 

 of heat. This process can be continued until the full yield of oil is 

 obtained. 



1 U. S. Department of Commerce. Foreign Commerce and Navigation of the United 

 States for the Year Ending June 30, 1914, pp. 820-821. Washington, 1915. 



2 Rabak, Frank. Peach, apricot, and prune kernels as by-products of the fruit industry 

 of the United States. U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 133, p. 24, 1908. 



