270 ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



241. The Tallow-tree, Stillingia sebifera (family EupJior- 

 biacece), has black seeds as large as Hazel-nuts, which are 

 covered with what is called Chinese Tallow. The tree 

 grows to the height of twenty to forty feet, has long and flexi- 

 ble branches, with long petiolate leaves, resembling those 

 of the Poplars. The moncecious flowers are in dense ter- 

 minal spikes, and the fruit is a three-lobed capsule, with a 

 seed in each cell. The seeds are collected in November 

 and December, and reduced in stone mortars. The mass 

 is then pressed through straw. The tallow melts at 98°- 

 109° F. It has a specific gravity of .81-82; its color is 

 greenish or white, and its reaction acid. It contains 

 palmatin, stearine, etc. It finds use in the manufacture 

 of candles, soap, etc. It has also been employed as a 

 substitute for linseed-oil, and for burning in lamps. 



242. The Olive-tree (Olea Europcea), of the Olive family 

 (OleacecB), is found wild in Western Asia. There are two 

 forms of it : (1) var. silvestris, which has thorns and grows 

 ■wild ; and (2) var. culta, destitute of thorns and extensively 

 cultivated, and has itself given rise to numerous so-called 

 " varieties." From the latter the Olive-oil, or Sweet-oil, 

 is obtained. The tree is an evergreeu, rarely exceeding 

 twenty feet in height. The wood is yellowish and fine- 

 grained, and used in small cabinet-work, in inlay work 

 and in turnery. It has lanceolate, or lance-oblong, leaves, 

 which are pale-green above and pale beneath. The flowers 

 are axillary, small and white, and the fruit is an oily 

 drupe. When ripe, the Olives are dark-violet or black. 

 If collected at this time they yield the best yellow and 

 sweet oil used as food. The oil from unripe fruits is green- 

 ish and tart ; that from over-ripe fruits is yellowish or 

 colorless, but sour and unpleasant. To obtain the best 



