THE GROUND-NUT AND ITS OIL. 351 



production has been scarcely maintained. The exports from the Gambia 



were :— 



Tons. Value. 



1858 . 15,729 . . . £188,747 



1859 8,593 . . . 68,745 



1860 9,95] . . . 79,612 



The greater part of these go to France, the shipments to that country in 

 1860 having been 8,206 tons. Our imports into the United Kingdom in 

 the four years ending 1861 averaged 1,400 tons per annum. 



Our direct imports of ground-nuts from Sierra Leone, which used to 

 average about 1,000 tons annually, have ceased altogether, as they go 

 now entirely to France. The exports from that colony were : — 





Bushels. 



Value. 



1858 



147,750 . 



. . £14,449 



1859 



262,846 



. . 25,576 



1860 



471,509 



. . 34,514 



Besides about 1,000 bushels shelled. 



The ground-nut is now cultivated on a large scale in India, where 

 the seeds form a considerable article of commerce, and there is also a 

 quantity of the oil exported. 



From Pondicherry there was exported in 1858, 8,155 sacks, in 1859, 

 3,269, and in 1860, 4,739 sacks of ground-nuts, and of the oil, 45,634 

 veltes, in 1858, 72,369, ditto in 1859, and 99,330 veltes in 1860. 



Ground-nut oil is used in parts of India for alimentary purposes ; in 

 some countries it is sold for olive oil ; in North Arcot, it serves to 

 adulterate gingelie or sesame oil, and at Pondicherry it is mixed with 

 cocoa-nut oil. It is chiefly used for the manufacture of soap, and for 

 lubricating machinery. As an illuminating oil, it burns longer than 

 olive oil, although its illuminating power is less. Compared with ordi- 

 nary bm-ning oils its power is feeble. It has the advantage, however, of 

 keeping a long time without becoming rancid. 



Under favourable circumstances, the nuts will produce half their 

 weight of oil, and the quantity is much increased by heat and pressure. 

 In India the mean yield of oil is only 37 per cent, at Pondicherry, and 

 43 per cent, in Madras. In Europe it is usually found that a bushel of 

 ground-nuts produces one gallon of oil when expressed cold ; if heat be 

 applied a larger quantity is obtained, but of inferior quantity. A great 

 quantity of oil is annually exported from the Madras presidency. The 

 plant is cultivated in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, the oil being used 

 for pharmaceutical purposes, and especially for lamps and machinery. 

 The wide extent of the culture was evidenced in ground-nuts being 

 shown in the International Exhibition from China, Siam, Cochin-China, 

 Australia, India, the South of Europe, different parts of Africa, Brazil, 

 and the "West Indies. 



