30 THE WORK OF THE FOREST DEPARTMENT IN INDIA. 



perties; the inhabitants of the jungle, however, utilize the 

 forest oil-seeds to a large extent as food and for cooking or 

 lighting purposes. 



Probably the best known oil-seed obtained from any Indian- 

 tree is that of the Mohwa, Bassia latifolia. The oil is a yellow 

 buttery fat, obtained from the seed by expression to the amount 

 of from 45 per cent, to 50 per cent, on the weight of the seed. 

 It is used in India primarily for adulterating ghee; also as an 

 ointment and for burning, cooking and soap making. It is 

 exported to Europe in large quantities : thus in 1913-14 the 

 total exports amounted to 665,979 cwts, valued at £364,000 of 

 which quite 85 per cent, found its way to Germany : since the 

 war much of the trade has been diverted to England. Bombay 

 exports by far the greater proportion of the outturn, while^the 

 Central Provinces and the Bombay Presidency produce the 

 majority of the crop. 



The seeds of Taraktogenos Kurzii yield the true ' chaul- 

 mugra' oil of commerce used in cases of skin disease and leprosy. 

 The tree is fairly common in Assam, the seeds being exported 

 from the Khasi Hills and sold in Sunamganj. It is also- 

 common in the Sylhet and Sibsagar divisions of that province, 

 while considerable quantities of the seed are available from the 

 Rangoon and Shwegyin divisions of Burma. A very similar oil, 

 which is also a variety of chaulmugra oil, is obtained from 

 the seed of Hydnocarpus Wightiana, which is found in the 

 forests of the West Coast, especially in South Malabar and in 

 the Cochin and Travancore States. 



The cotyledons of Shorea robusta yield a substance known 

 as sal butter, used for cooking and adulterating ghee. Amongst 

 other seed-oils may be mentioned those obtained from the seeds 

 of Mesua ferrea, used in the preparation of glycerine, of Pon- 

 gamia glabra, used for cooking and for burning, of Juglans 

 regia (the walnut) used in confectionary and for cooking and 

 lighting, of Melia indica, a bitter oil used in native medicine 

 and of Vateria indica, a tree of "Western India and Malabar. 

 Of recent years the tallow obtained from the seeds of this last 

 named species has come into prominence on the English market 

 in connection with the preparation of margarine. 



