82 



Oils of Southern India, [no. 5, new series, 



maunds of oil, which sells at from Rs. 4-8-0 to 5 Rs. per maund or 

 £40-6 per ton. The whole of the oil at present made here appears 

 to be consumed in Malwa. Mr. Anson, the first Assistant to the 

 Governor General and Superintendent of the Opium department at 

 Indore, concludes that 5,000 maunds might be available for export 

 at Indore alone. 



" The hire of a cart from Indore to Bombay would be about 20 or 

 25 Rupees. The carts are much smaller than those used in the Ma- 

 dras territory, and will carry from 20 to 24 maunds. There would 

 appear to be no difficulty in establishing an export of this oil, pro- 

 vided there were a remunerating demand for it; the extent of sup- 

 ply must however be regulated by the demand for Opium, the high 

 price obtainable for which alone supports this expensive and hazar- 

 dous cultivation. 



" Perhaps Calcutta presents greater facilities for the export of the 

 seed or oil from the advantage of the water carriage afforded by the 

 Ganges and other rivers of Bengal ; but the railway now progressing 

 from Bombay will materially facilitate the transit of goods from this 

 part of India, but as before remarked the production of Poppy oil 

 must ever be dependent on the demand for opium which may pos- 

 sibly be extensively affected by the extraordinary revolution now 

 progressing in China. 



By simple exposure to the rays of the sun, in shallow vessels, this 

 oil is rendered perfectly colorless. It is supposed by the Natives 

 to produce sleep and strengthen the brain. Poppy oil is peculiar- 

 ly suitable for mixing with paints ; " with white lead it leaves a 

 «' beautiful surface which does not afterwards change by the action 

 of light into a dirty yellow." 



Class 2. 



No. 11. Margosa or Neem oil. (Azadirachta Indica and Melia 

 azadirach. 



Two species of the Neem grow in Southern India. The Azadi- 

 rachta Indica, or white flowered Neem, is exceedingly graceful, 

 and forms an excellent avenue tree. The Melia azadirach or Per- 



