S72 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. r, 1893. 
Dr. Trinien mentions one other plant wliich 
-fjrows in Ceylon, tlie Hower.-> of which are 
used for the preparation of an essential oil for h)cal 
aale, viz., tlie Ae<^le niarnielos, wliich furnishes 
the Beli-flower oil, ,a favourite peifuine anionj; 
the Burgher community ; hut, Dr. Trinien adds, 
""There are numerous neglected flowers wliich 
" would he well worth u.sing for the purpose as : — 
>Sapu (Michelia champaca) 
VV.ana-.sapu (Cananga ordorata — ylang ylang) 
Petika-wel (Ariahotrys odoratissimu.sj 
Netan and Dat-ketiya (Xylojiia parx ifolia and 
X.-Chanipionii) 
Na (Mesua fei-rea), 
'' and niany others, such as all the spe<-ies of 
' citrus and the jasmines. 
" I have often wondered that no one has taken 
lip this industry.'' 
liimiing Oiii. 
The oils that are used for illuniiiiating or 
heating purposes in Ceylon are chiefly two, viz., 
kcronene and coconut. 
Kerosene. Oil. 
Kerosene is a mineral oil, l)eing derived from 
petroleum, of wliich it forms 50 to 70 |)er cent. 
A hurning oil similar in properties to kerosene is 
also ohtained frf)in hitumen and shale. Crude 
American jietroleum has a specific gravity 
varying usually from -700 to -800, though it is found 
from -74 to -92 in speciKc gravity. The specitic 
gravity of crude Scotch shale oil is from 'HCOto -890. 
In his work entitled "Commercial Organic 
Analysis," Mr. A. H. Allen, k.i.c, k.c.s , gives 
the following tahle, which shows the character 
and quantities of the products obtainable from 
average Pennsylvanian petroleum of "807, 
and crude Scotch shale oil. 
O H 
W Q 
(M ^ m 
?0 CO ■ , 
■ o 
05 lO Si (N 
O CD 1^ 
O O 
tC?i cS 
c 03 c5 c '-3 
■ s o ^ 
ai .a ts ce o 
The same author states that the density of 
the first 90 fractions obtained by distilling the 
average petroleum of the New York market, 
has been determined by Bourgongnon ; and the 
following table shews the density of every 10th 
fraction obtained, the original oil having a 
specific gravity of '7982 at 15° C. 
KG. S.G. 
Ist Fraction 679 50th Fraction -777 
10th „ -705 60th „ -790 
20th „ -728 70th ., -815 
3"th ,, -750 80tli „ -829 
40th „ -76.-) <m\i „ -825 
The composition of the crude oil fnrniished by 
the distillation was naphtha at 700 17%; 
benzine at IIM) 9% ; burning oil at 783, 64°^ ; 
residue and loss 10^^, ; and the residue coutaiued 
about ilb. of its weight of solid pHrafiiii. 
The specific gravity of kerosene varies between 
the limits -78 and -82. 
The commercial tests for the <)ualitv of petro 
leuiii are its sjiecihc gravity, its color, IkIoui . the 
sensation it produces when rubl>ed lietween the 
lingers, anil the amount of n.^nlitha of ^Wspecitii- 
gravity , which it yields on distillatii.ii Seeing 
that petroleum gives oti' inHammalde vapor at 
a comparatively low temi)erat«re, the st'orin^ 
and transp(nt of this substance is attended 
with some danger. Hence in civilized countries 
stringent regulations are in force to pre>ent 
accident to life and juojierty from the careless 
treatment of this substance. The (»rdinance 
No. 6 of 1887 entitleil '• An ordinance to regulate 
the importation, possession, transport, and 
hawking of petroleum and other fluids of a 
like nature ■' IS that w hich is at present in force 
ill Ceylon. According to this ordinance the term 
iietroleum incluiles al.so the liijiiids commoniy 
known by the name of Hock oil, I{aiigf,(m oil, 
lUuiiia oil, Kerosene, I'arattin oil. "Mineral 
oil, Fetioleum, Ca.-*olene. Benzol, Benzolinc, 
Benzine, and any inflammable liijuid that is niatle 
from |ietrolcum, coal, .schist, shale, ])eat, or any 
other hituiiiiiKms substance, or from any pr<>duct8 
of petroleum : but it does not include any oil 
ordinarily used for lubricating jmrposeis, and 
having its flashing jwjint at or above 2?., 
depees of Falirenheit B thermometer. 
The ordinance further distinguishes petroleum 
as dangerous jjetroleuni w hen the H.-ifeliing point 
by Abel's test is below 76«F. " If, however, the 
petroleum on Iward a ship or in the possession of 
a dealer, is declared by the master <if tli»' ship 
or the consignee of the cargo, or by the dealers, a- 
the case may be, to be one uniform i|uality, the 
l>etroleuni shall not be <leenied to be dangerous if 
the samples selected from the petroleum have 
their fla.sliing jioints, on an average at not less than 
76 degrees of Falirenlieit s thermometer, and if no 
one sanijde has its flashing jjoint below ':t degrees 
of that thermometer." 
:Muc1i of the ordinary kerosene oil consumed in 
Ceylon has a flashing point only a veiy little 
higher than is required to remove it from the cla-ss 
of dangerous petroleum. Thus 14 .samples of 
kerosene drawn from a cargo of .85,000 ca-ses of 
Russian petroleum were te.s'ted by the author, 
and the average flashing point was found to be 
77'9'' F., while in no single sample was thefiasliing 
point below 70^ F. 
The flashing point of the special product 
known as water -white oil, is said to be consider- 
ably higher then that of ordinary kerosene. The 
flashing point by the open test is usually higher 
than] 18° F, and deducting from this 27" which 
is the mean dilierence found to e.\ist between the 
open the close test, this would give at least 9r 
as the flashing point of this oil. 
As an example of mineral burning oil with a 
very high flashing point, I might cite an oil 
imported into Ceylon for use in the light-houses. 
This oil is known as " mineral colza." I found the 
flashing point of this oil to be lioyond the range 
