33 
There are several varieties of sunflower, the white-seeded one 
producing the most oil, while many cultivators on the continent 
prefer a dwarf species (Helianthus indicus) as being the most 
profitable for general cultivation. It is stated that wheat grows 
better when succeeding a crop of sunflcwer. I have had inquiries 
as to how the seed should be extracted from the head or dise. 
When the seeds are shining and ripe the plant may be either 
pulled from the ground or cut with a sickle. The discs are cut 
from the stem and the seeds rubbed ont with any suitable instru- 
ment, such as that used for rubbing out maize. 
OTHER VEGETABLE OILS. 
Time will not permit to more than just mention olive, castor, 
colza, and other oil-producing plants which grow well here. 
The olive, as you all know, does well in numerous parts of the 
colony, and excellent samples of oil have been exhibited at our 
various shows and exhibitions for very many years past, but, as 
I stated before, the sunflower, which gives a return in as many 
months as the olive does in years, and which appears to yield a 
product as valuable as the latter, may possibly in time supersede 
it. One advantage the olive has over the sunflower, inasmuch as 
the latter requires special soil and manuring, while the olive will 
live nearly for ever, and requires little attention in the way of 
pruning and dressing, it will also grow in a great variety of soils, 
wet marshy land being alone inimical to it. An Italian saying 
is, “If you wish to leave your children a lasting inheritance, 
plant an olive tree.” De Candolle puts the average age of the 
olive at 700 years. The castor oil plant does well enough here, 
in some parts of South Australia is quite a weed ; but we cannot 
expect to compete with India and its cheap labour in the pro- 
duction of castor oil. I have little faith also in our being able 
to produce economically rape or colza oil. But there is one other 
valuable oil plant which I think may prove profitable—it is the 
earth-nut (Arachis hypogea). I have only seen this singular 
annual plant in two or three places. At the Horticultural 
Gardens at Richmond it does well. The crop is a most profit- 
able one, producing in a good year as much as 100 bushels 
(25 to 32 lbs. to the bushel) to the acre. The seeds contain 
42 to 450 per cent. of oil; after they are cleaned, decorticated, 
crushed, and pressed by cold pressure, 1 bushel of seed will 
yield a gallon of the finest oil, very clear, and of a pale-straw 
colour; it is then frequently sold in Europe for olive oil. It makes 
an excellent lamp oil. It is also used for dressing cloth, and for 
lubricating watches and other delicate machinery. An inferior 
quality of oil is made by the seeds or cake remaining after the 
first pressing being ground finely, heated, and pressed again; this 
826. c 
