April 1, 1864.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



WOODS OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 427 



and after four or five hours the oil becomes thoroughly washed, its im- 

 purities having been removed. The agitation is then stopped and the 

 water and bleaching ingredients are allowed to subside. The oil is next 

 drawn off into the boiling vat on the next story. This vat also is lined 

 with copper, fitted with fans or agitators, and a coiled perforated tube ; 

 steam is admitted into the tube until a uniform temperature of 212 deg. 

 is obtained. It is kept in this condition and continually agitated for 

 about four hours, when all impurities having been thrown off it is 

 allowed to cool, assisted by the fans, which bring every portion in turn 

 into contact with the air. At the end of eight or ten hours, it is suffi- 

 ciently cool to be drawn off into the filters, which are on the lower 

 story. Each filter contains five tons. Having passed through the 

 filter, the oil fully refined, is pumped into appropriate tanks to be ready 

 for barrelling ; and receives the name of Colza oil, on account of its 

 illuminating properties, the true Colza being an oil expressed from the 

 Brassica oleracea, a variety of the cabbage plant, from whose seeds an 

 oil much used on the Continent is expressed. 



Some idea may be formed of the vast quantity of purified rape oil 

 consumed for lubricating and illuminating purposes, when this refinery 

 alone sends out upwards of two thousand tons per annum. A single 

 railway company consumes three hundred tons a year, and the Great 

 Eastern requires one thousand gallons for the single voyage to New 

 York. "Whale, seal, and sperm oils are refined by a more simple pro- 

 cess. They are simply filtered through flannel bags ; the residue of the 

 common kinds is called foots, and is one of the ingredients used in the 

 manufacture of soap. The deposit produced in the filtration of sperm 

 oil is called spermaceti, and is very valuable, commanding a ready sale 

 at 90Z. per ton. These oils are used for the purpose of illumination 

 only, with the exception of sperm, which is employed in the cotton 

 districts for the lubrication of spindles. Large quantities of olive oil 

 are imported from Spain for lubricating machinery, and immense quan- 

 tities of American lard are imported, pressed and filtered for obtain- 

 ing the oil known as lard oil, which is considered a good lubricator, and 

 certainly has the quality of cheapness to recommend it. — ' Mechanics' 

 Magazine.' 



WOODS OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 

 1. Bolongita, Diospyros (Guayacanac). — "Wood resembling the alin- 

 tatao (See No. 5), of which some varieties are light red, others darker, re- 

 gularly spotted with black, solid texture, and of very good use for wheel 

 works and constructions, shavings fine, flexible, and waved. Abounds 

 in various provinces, and particularly in Bulucani, Tayabas, Pangsnau, 

 and Nueva Ecija. 



