March 1, 1894.] Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist" 
645 
Rubber from: CoTTOisr Seed. — -Artificial ladia- 
lubber from cottoa seed oil is one of the latest 
iiidiisti-ial products. It is claimed to possess 
com;nercial adaptations of peculiar practical value. 
The manufacture involves a process not yet 
given out to the public by the discoverer, who 
states that \vliile experimenting with cotton seed 
oil to produce a varnish for paintings he ob- 
tained a substance entirely foreign in its make 
up and properties to what was sought — not a 
varnish, but rubber. So simple is the process, 
as alleged, that it is not within the protection 
of a patent, the only safeguard being, therefore, 
in the secrecy of the process, by the use of 
which, it is asserted, only 1.5 per cent is re- 
quired of the genuine rubber to produce an 
article which can in no way be distinguished 
from the ordinary crude indiarubber, it is said, 
even by experts in the handling of the latter 
article. Arrangements have been made for its 
extensive manufacture and its application to 
the various purposes so long peculiar to the 
natural material. 
The tree producing Chaulmugra oil, which 
has been found to some extent efficacious, in 
the treatment of leprosy, is Gt/nocardia odorata 
a moderately-sized glabrous evergreen, readily 
known by the hard round fruits which grow 
on the stem and branches, and resemble a 
Brazil nut without the hard shell. The fruit 
is so unctuous that the oil can be e.xpressed by 
the hand. The seed yields under hydraulic 
pressure from 2o to 30 per cent of oil. Chaul- 
mugra seeds generally sell in Calcutta at Eo 
to R7 per maund (82 lbs.), the oil at R60 to 
R70 per maund wholesale, and its retail price 
is to R3 per pound. 
" Preservitas,'' a Victorian product lately ex- 
hibited with other Victorian produce in Ceylon 
is thus referred to by the Qaeenslander : — A new 
use has been found for preservitas, a compound 
of boracic acid which is employed very largely 
in Victoria for preserving butter in good con- 
dition. Ham and bacon are protected from the 
ravages of the maggot fly by dipping them in 
a solution of " preservitas " in water. In solu- 
tion, at the rate of one or two handfuls to 
each gallon of water, it cannot possibly be hurt- 
ful to meat or hams that may be immersed in 
it. The flies seem to frequent the bacon after 
being dipped the same as before, but the im- 
portant point is that none of their eggs ever 
hatch. It is thought that the same good results 
would be obtained by immersing cheese for a 
moment iu this solution. 
