X, A, 2 Brill and Agcaoili: Philippine Oil-hearing Seeds 113 



The Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales " claims that 

 the press cake is poisonous to cattle. Mr. D. S. K. Pahu, a native 

 of the Hawaiian Islands, employed in the Executive Bureau of 

 the Insular Government here, informed us that the lumbang nut, 

 known in the Hawaiian Islands as the kukui nut, is considered a 

 delicacy when roasted and is eaten without deleterious results 

 in this condition, but that when eaten in the fresh state it has 

 strong physiological properties, causing nausea and dizziness. 

 Guthrie and Ramsay ' announce : 



It is a drying oil and is used in the arts for the same purposes as 

 linseed oil, and for burning. * * * It is used medicinally as a plaster 

 and as an article for diet — as olive oil is used. 



On the other hand, the Chinese, who are the greatest dealers in 

 this commodity in Manila, affirm that the oil cannot be used for 

 culinary purposes on account of its causing dizziness and nausea. 

 We have tested the heated press cake and the extracted press 

 cake by feeding chickens with each for intervals of ten days with 

 no harmful results to the fowls. 



Most of this oil is expressed by the Chinese by means of crude, 

 wooden hand presses, having a capacity of about 800 grams. 

 One small factory can express about 75 liters of oil per day ; but 

 as less than 20 per cent of the total oil is extracted, much is going 

 to waste. At present it sells at approximately 12 centavos (6 

 cents United States currency) per pound in Manila. 



In 1911 the United States imported 5,000,000 gallons of Chi- 

 nese wood oil from China. This oil is used extensively for special 

 varnishes and linoleum and for other similar purposes. This 

 oil is so highly appreciated by the United States paint concerns 

 that 40,000 trees have been planted in the Southern States. 

 These are expected to furnish from one fourth to one third of 

 the present supply of tung oil in the United States when they 

 reach maturity.* We believe either of the lumbang oils could be 

 substituted for tung oil, as they are quick-drying, giving a clear, 

 transparent, nonsticky film on a surface when exposed to the 

 air for a short time. Thrum ^ says : 



The last use, to our knowledge, made of it in house painting here was 

 at the construction of the Judd building about 1855, by R. Gilliland, who is 

 said to have made the statement that it was good for fifteen to twenty years. 



' Agr. Gaz. N. S. W. (1906), 17, 859. 

 'Ibid. (1906), 17, 859. 

 'Drugs, Oils and Paints (1914), 30, 207. 

 ' Hawaiian Annual (1893) , 107. 



