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



technically called, are then placed alternately with plates of sheet 

 iron in the ordinary Screw or Hydraulic press. On the application 

 of a gradually increasing pressure, the oil exudes through the pores of 

 the gunny and is received into clean tins. Water in the proportion 

 of a pint to a gallon of oil being added, the whole is boiled until 

 the water has evaporated, the mucilage will be found to have sub- 

 sided and encrusted, the bottom of the pan whilst the albumen soli- 

 dified by the heat forms a thin layer between the oil and the water. 

 Great care must be taken to remove the pan from the fire the 

 instant the whole of the water has evaporated, which may be known 

 by the bubbles having ceased, for if allowed to remain longer, the 

 oil which has hitherto been of the temperature of boiling water or 

 212°, suddenly rises to that of oil or nearly 600°, thereby heightening 

 the color and communicating an empyreumatic taste and odour. 

 The oil is then filtered through blanket, flannel or American drill r 

 and put into cans for exportation. It is usually of a light straw 

 color, sometimes approaching a greenish tinge. 



The cleansed seeds yield from 47 to 50 per cent, of oil. The fol- 

 lowing is the result of experiments made at Madras and Calcutta 

 to ascertain the per-centage of oil in Castor seed (January 27th, 

 1853.) 



Calcutta— l,400lbs. of seed yielded kernels and raw oil as follows r 



Kernels. Oil. 



1st sort , 6321bs 3241bs. 



2nd sort 184lbs 87Jlbs. 



3rd sort 164lbs 76±lbs. 



Making a total of 9801bs. of Kernels and 4831bs. of Raw oil from 

 l,400lbs. of seed. 



Madras — l,4001bs. of seed yield raw oil as follows : 



1st sort. 318lbs. 



2nd sort. 881bs. 



3rd sort. 741bs. 

 Making a total of 4801bs. of oil from l,4001bs. of seed. 

 The cost of the Madras oil is as follows: — 



