12 BULLETIN 731, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
The results of three tests with peach-kernel oil show that the diet 
as a whole was well assimilated, the digestibility of the different 
constituents being 83.7 per cent for protein, 91.8 per cent for fat, 
and 95.7 per cent for carbohydrate. An average of 34 grams of pro- 
tein, 62 grams of fat, and 375 grams of carbohydrate, which supplied 
2,200 calories, was eaten per man daily. The subjects all reported 
that they felt in normal physical condition throughout the test period, 
which indicated that peach-kernel oil when included as a part of 
a simple mixed diet was well tolerated. The digestibility of peach- 
kernel oil alone, 96.6 per cent, may be considered as evidence that 
this oil is very well assimilated and would prove a valuable food oil. 
PUMPKIN-SEED OIL. 
The oil that is obtained by cold expression of pumpkin seeds is 
classified as a semidrying oil and is of a slightly greenish-yellow 
color. In South Russia this oil is prepared on a commercial scale 
by roasting the pumpkin seeds, after which the oil is hot pressed. 
Lewkowitsch 1 states that the hot-pressed oil is viscous, of a brownish- 
green color by transmitted light, and of a deep red color by reflected 
light. He further states that attempts to bleach and refine hot- 
pressed pumpkin-seed oil have not met with success. 
While the amount of pumpkin canned at present is not large, both 
the output of the individual factories and the number of canneries 
packing pumpkin are increasing and the indications are that eventu- 
ally the available supply of pumpkin seed will be sufficient to war- 
rant commercial consideration. 
The pumpkin-seed oil studied in the tests here reported was ob- 
tained through the courtesy of H. S. Bailey, of the Bureau of 
Chemistry. It was prepared by cold pressing a supply of pumpkin 
seeds obtained from a commercial canning establishment. It may be 
assumed that this oil was very nearly representative of high-grade 
pumpkin-seed oil of commerce. • Since only a very limited supply 
of pumpkin-seed oil was available, only two tests were possible. The 
results which were obtained in these tests are reported in the tables 
following : 
1 Chemical Technology and Analysis of Oils, Fats, and Waxes. London : Macmillan 
& Co. (Ltd.), 1909, vol. 2, p. 124. 
