28 



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



slight bean-like taste and smell, which makes a good soap, indeed 

 it is a perfect substitute for olive oil in all its uses. 



Its value in London in January 1855 was £47-10 per ton. In 

 North Arcot, where it is largely cultivated, the oil is procurable at 

 from Us. 1-8-0 to 2-12-0 per maund. In the Nellore district the 

 seed costs 1-8-0 per maund, and in Tanjore about 200 acres are cul- 

 tivated with this plant yielding annually 75 candies of oil at Rs. 2-6-0 

 per maund. In the year 1848-49, 37,000 gallons of this oil were 

 shipped, but in the two following years the exports exceeded 

 1,00,000 gallons. It however fell to 75,207 gallons in 1852-3. 



According to Simmonds, l,950parts of seed give 1,405 of blanched 

 kernels and 703 of oil, by cold pressure. It is produced to a very 

 large extent in Africa, from whence England and France draw large 

 supplies. 



No. 7. Linseed oil. {Linum usitatissimum.) 



The seed from which this oil is expressed has long been culti- 

 vated to a limited extent at Nagpore, Bellary, Guntoor and other 

 parts of the Presidency. It is usually sown in furrows on the bor- 

 ders of fields, and the extent of cultivation is consequently difficult 

 to ascertain. 



The oil is seldom used for painting in India perhaps from an im- 

 pression which seems to be general, that the oil obtained from In- 

 dian seed is inferior to that imported from England; It will how- 

 ever be found on experiment, that this arises from the former hav- 

 ing been imperfectly freed from the mucilage which prevents its 

 drying, or from some admixture of a non-drying oil. 



In the year 1852-3 English Linseed oil to the amount of gallons 

 4,552 valued at Rs. 8,763 was imported into Madras, whilst at the 

 same time 1,045 cwt. of the seed was exported hence, mostly to 

 England. The fact that it can be made on the spot equal in qua- 

 lity and considerably less in price than the English article, needs 

 only to be known to be taken advantage of. It would be necessary 

 to guard against its adulteration with any of the greasy oils, which 

 would of course infallibly destroy its drying properties. 



The value of this oil in England was from £61 to £66 in Ja- 

 nuary 1856. It is said to be procurable in Bellary at Rs, 3-8-0 per 



