Oct, 1, 1901.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
227 
TEA SEED OIL, AND OIL CAKE. 
Memo : — The subjoined report by Mr. H. H. Mann, 
E.sc, F.i.c, npon these products is publishtd for 
information, by the Indian Tea Association : — 
On the 27th June I received from the Secretary of 
the Indian Tea Association samples of Tea seed Oil 
and Tea Seed Oil C ike which hdd baen sent, through 
Mr. H St. J. Jackson, by Mr. H. Urummond Deane 
of the Stagbrook Estate, South India, with a request 
that I should make an aualy.sis of them and report 
to the Committee. This I have m'V done so far as 
is necessary for our purpose — and it is perhaps a 
convenient opportunity to lay before you my views 
as to I he possible value and usefulness of both pro- 
ducts, especially as a large amount of speed is novv 
produced, and must be utilised, if utilised at all, in 
some other way than for sowing. 
The value of seed of this character almost entirely 
depends on the usefuhiess of the oil and on the 
possibility of petting good feeding or mannrial 
material from the residual cake. It was attempted 
in 1885 to put tea seed, as such, on the London 
market under the name'taune.' Great interest, I 
understand, was rannifested, but the seeds found no 
buyer, and the price asked sank quickly to a level 
far below the cost of importation. At the present 
day the seed does not come into commerce at all 
except for the production of new bushes. 
The following analysis by Mr D. Hooper ("South 
of India Observer," 1894) of Tea Seed from the 
Nilgitis previously dried, shows the composition of 
the material: — 
Fixed Oil .. ... .. 22-9 per cent. 
Albuminoids ... .. ... 85 „ 
Saponin ... ... ... 9'1 ,, 
Carbohydrates ... .. ... 19'9 
Starch .. .. .. 32.5 
Fibre .. ... ... 3-8 „ 
Mineral Matter ... ... .. 3 3 „ 
100.0 
Of these constituents, those of interest for our pur- 
pose are the fixed oil, the saponin, the albuminoids 
i.e., the nitrogen and the mineral matter. Let us 
take these seriatim. 
THE FIXED OIL 
Is present in small amount compared with that in 
most other oil seeds, such as linseed, cotton, or 
casoor. I am bound to say, however, that many 
samples appeared to contain much more oil than the 
seeds quoted above, but I should consider Mr. Deaue'a 
fii<ure of 25 per cent, obtainable by hot pressure 
as an extreme one for practical working. If 
high quality oil is wished, the seeds will have to 
be pressed cold, and not more than 20 per cent, 
may be anticipated. Even this, I fear, may be 
taken as higher than would on the average be ob- 
tained under commercial conditions. 
The oil itself is a clear, light yellow, liquid, non- 
drying oil, approaching olive oil in charactfv, but 
which always has a more or less acrid tas^e. The 
samples sent by Mr, Deane appears to be free fmm 
saponin — a poisonous substance (see below) which 
nearly always occurs in it, but in order to get il.is 
freedom great care has to be taken in pressing. 
Though when heated the poisonous properties of die 
saponin are destroyed yet the small quantity 
which may be present would condemn it as an 
edible oil for use in western countries. The Chinese, 
it appears, have long used it for cooking purposes 
and it might possibly be employed by the people of 
the tea districts in a similar manner if it were 
easily obtainable- 
As a lamp oil it answers very well, and would 
seem to be quite capable of local introduction for 
this purpose. 1 say local introduction because 
burning- oils are at present rather at a discount 
29 
m the markets of the world compared with their 
former position- kerosine and petroleum products 
having largely taken the market in the great 
centres which was formerly theirs. At the same 
time the fact that it is satisfactory for this purpose 
should not be forgotten. 
The oil produces an excellent soap hard and 
white. For this purpose the preseu'-e of saponin 
would be no disadvantage but would rather add to 
the lathering power of the soap, if the oil could 
be produced in quantity and a supply guaranteed 
at a rate whicQ would compete with ' the other 
vegetable oils, there is no doubt an opening for it 
in this direction. 
THE SAPONIN, 
Thi3 poisonous constituents of the Tea Seed is 
all but entirely contained in the cake, after ex- 
pression of the oil. It is a white solid sweetish 
to the taste at first but. rapidly becoming bitter 
and acrid in the mouth and it leaves a bitinc' 
sensation in the throat for some time. It is exceed"^ 
ingly poisonous and its presence at once destroys 
any chance of using the cake or the seeds as a feed- 
ing staff for animals. 
THE ALBUMINOIDS AND NITROGEN. 
To the nitrogen contained in the albuminoids the 
cake would owe the greatest pxrt of its m uuinal 
value. lathis respect, however, it does not for one 
moment compare with most other oilcakes. Compare 
for instance, the following figures respre^-enting 
the average amount of nitr0i?en in other manure 
cakes compared with that given by Tea Seed Oil 
Cake : — 
Nitrogen 
per cent. 
4 to 5 
4 to 5-5 
5'5 to 6'5 
6-5 to 8 
3-5 to 4-5 
1-92 
Thus, if castor cake were woith 2 rupees per 
maund in Calcutta, calculating on the basis of the 
nitrogen alone, the tea seed ,'cake would only be 
worth about 12 annas per maund. 
THR MINEBAL MATTER. 
In Other points the Tea Seed Cake is likewise 
inferior for manurial purposes. Comparing aoaia 
the following figures for mineral matter and pho= 
phone acid in several manure Cakes, this will be 
clearly seen ; — 
Mineral Blatter Phosphoric Acid 
per cent. pgr cent 
Mustard Cake ... 8 to 10 .. . . 2 to 3' 
Linseed Cake . . 4 to 6 ' 1-5 to 3 
Castor Cake ... 9 to 10 ... 2 to 3 
Cotton Cake . . 7 to 8 .. "' 3 fn 4 
Tea Seed Cake ... 3.3 to 4.07 .. 0 58 
Taking these various points into consideration it 
will at once be seen that as a manure the cake pro- 
duced by pressing tea seed is of very inferior 
character, and would harly pay for carriage over 
very long distances for this purpose,— nor can it 
compete in any market with cakes produced fiom 
other oil seeds. On the other hand it is quite 
good enough to use locally, provided the net cost 
does not exceed 8 to 12 annas per maund on the 
garden. 
It (the cake) is however supposed to have insec- 
ticidal properties ; and might be useful for this 
purpose. In the paper above quoted, Mr. Hooper 
suggests spraying the bushes with a decoction of 
the seeds, or dusting the plants with a powder 
made by grinding them up. Such a decoction is 
likely to be serviceable against red spider, but 
exactly of what value it is can only be determined 
by trial. Spread on the ground round the bushes 
Mustard Cake 
Linseed Cake ... 
Castor Cake 
Decorticated Cotton Cake 
Undecorticated Cotton Cake 
Tea Seed Cake 
