146 
Smyplmmt to the " Tropical Agriculturist." [Acgubt 1, 18S8. 
carried to the drying house, or they may be 
exposed to the sun on barbecues. During the 
day the spikes are turned over wifh a rake oiic^' 
or twice, so as to allow the lower layers to receive 
the raya of the sun. In from three to four daj's 
all the capsules will have burst, and theu the seeds 
may be cleaned from the husks and foreign matter 
by winnowing. Should rain come on whilst the 
spikes are exposed out of doors, they Srhould 1)8 
raked into heaps, and covered up with tarpaulinrs 
or boards. As the seeds " pop" to somedistance it 
is usual to confine the drying-place by a board 
fence four or five feet high ; but, if a clear space 
of twelve feet can be left outside the drying layer 
of capsules, this fence may be di.speused with. 
The spikes should be spread in a thin layer of not 
more than six inches in depth, for the thinner the 
layer the quicker will be the drying. The cold- 
drawn oil is made inEurope and the United States by 
several rather complicated processes requiring the 
aid of expensive machinery and skilled labour ; 
but there is always a ready sale in the great 
northern markets for crude oil which is sometimes 
refined, and sometimes sold without further pre- 
paration for lubricating purposes. In India, the 
crude oil which is exported in large quantities is 
made in the following manner: — The seeds are 
broken between rollers set so that the outer hard 
covering is cracked off. The whitish kernels 
are then separated, placed in hempen cloths, and 
submitted to heavy pressure in powerful screw 
hydraulic presses. The oil which runs out is then 
boiled with water to separate the mucilage and 
albumen. The clean oil is finally drawn off, 
strained through flannel and put into tins, barrels, 
hogsheads and (lubbers for exportation. A dubber 
is a globular leather barrel or bottle used by the 
natives of India to hold oils and such like. 
A common oil is made in the West Indies, where 
the castor oil plant can scarcely be said to be 
cultivated, and is practically a weed — on a small 
scale in a simple way. The seeds are first stacked 
in an earthenware pan over the fire and then 
pounded in a mortar ; the husks are sometimes 
removed and sometimes left, but their separation 
produces a better oil. The broken seeds are then 
tied in a linen bag and boiled with water in a 
large pot, and the oil is skrimmed off as it rises to 
the surface. It is then strained and may be bleach- 
ed by exposing it to the sun in clear glass bottles. 
In this way the seeds will yield at least a fourth 
by their weight of oil. 
GENEEAL ITEMS. 
In an article on "Dehorning" contributed by 
Mr. p. Gordon to the Queensland Agricultural 
Gazette, the writer says: — But the most satis- 
factory and least painful process of dehorning 
is by the use of caustic potash on very young 
calves, the younger the better. Mr. J. C Thompson, 
the late Principal of Hawkesbury Agricultural 
College, practised this mode of destroying the 
growth of the horns, and reported it as most 
successful. If the young horn has not made its 
appearance above the skin, it should be felt for 
by the fingers. The surrounding surface should 
be saturated with a little oil or grease to prevent 
injury from the caustic soda. With a portion 
of a sponge or a piecej of rag' firmly tied on 
the end of a small stick, the " button " should 
be rubbed with the rrustic soda, which will 
eflectually stop further giowth, and the animal 
grows up a " poley," a curly lock of hair taking 
the place of the horn. Complaints hme been 
made as to the failure of this process as tiied 
in this colony, but the failure mu^t have been 
due to the caustic soda having been exposed 
to the air. It should ,be borne in mind that 
when caustic soda is exposed to the*atmo8pl)ere, 
it loses its power as anlescharotic, and therefore 
the air must be carefully excluded from it. 
The experiments of Mr. H. A. Tardent of the 
Weitbrook Experimental Farm] have been parti- 
cularly successful as regards tomatoes, some of 
liis specimens (of the crimson cushion variety) 
turning the scale at 20 oz. and measuring 15J 
inches in circumference. The variety known as 
the n<jw Peach is said to be the^ favourite. It 
is said that a handful of kainit spread round 
tomatoes when they have been planted out, keeps 
off the destructive cut worm. 
The following comes from an American paper, 
and we give it for what it is worth: — " JohnKussell, 
of Seattle, Washington, is said to havti discovered 
a process for preserving milk that will stagger the 
condensed milk people. Some samples have been 
kt^pt for a year, and t he milk has proved as fresh as 
when ' put up.' It is not condensed," nor is it pre- 
served liy the use of any additional preservative. 
It is, however, subjected to a process known only to 
the discoverer. Milk and cream are both prepared 
in the same w-ay, and have the same taste, appear- 
auce. and properties of the fresh article. Samples 
have been submitted to Dr. Spencer the well-known 
bacteriologist, who is reported as having entliusi- 
astically endorsed the milk as being pure and 
healthful, A factory has been erected, and the 
preserved milk is now being used in San Francisco, 
California. The possibilities of the discovery are 
described as being enormous; and while it may 
injure the business of the milkman near the large 
cities, it will be of the greatest benefit to the more 
remote dairies and the consumers. At Point Eeyes, 
where the parent factory is located, farmers are 
offered i5 per cent, more fr>r their milk than they 
could make by turning it into butter. The new 
process takes milk out of the list of perishable 
articles, and it is said that so cheap is the process 
that it can be practically sold at the same price as 
fresh milk. A family can get a dozen bottles, or a 
hundred for that matter, and keep them on hand 
ready to use at anj- time. It is expected that gro- 
cers will keep it on hand also, just as they do 
canned tomatoes or corn, as it can be handled just 
as safely and easilj'. 
Mr. Geo. Warr, who is interesting himself in the 
cultivation of ramie fibre has contributed an inter- 
esting series of articles on the subject, bringing up 
all the latest and most reliable information with 
reference to the fibre iu review. We understand 
that Mr. Warr intends republishing his account in 
pamphlet form, and we have no doubt it will be 
a valuable brochure which just at this time will be 
welcomed by local agriculturists. 
