1 88  "      Orange-Oil  Industry  in  Jamaica.    {Amiil°!£'  Jgii™' 
The  principal  use  for  which  Jamaica  orange  oil  is  sold  is  in  the 
manufacture  of  fancy  biscuits,  particularly  of  a  wafer  biscuit  which 
is  extensively  used  in  the  United  States  with  ices  and  iced  drinks. 
Sales  of  the  Jamaica  oil  also  are  made  to  drug  manufacturers. 
The  essential  oil  of  orange  is  contained  in  the  small  cells  that 
form  the  outer  layer  of  an  orange  skin.  It  has  simply  to  be  drawn 
off  by  tapping  the  innumerable  tiny  oil  cells  and  collecting  and 
saving  the  volatile  fluid.  It  must  not  be  diluted  with  the  orange 
juice,  and  must  not  be  exposed  for  more  than  a  brief  time  to  *the 
light  and  air.  It  should  not  be  extracted  with  anything  made  of 
iron  or  steel,  or  the  delicate  product  will  be  injured.  It  should  be 
kept  in  air-tight  and  absolutely  clean  receptacles.  It  is  rather  liable 
to  deterioration,  and  great  care  in  handling  is  necessary. 
The  method  that  is  practically  the  only  one  in  vogue  for  the 
production  of  orange  oil  in  Jamaica  employs  what  is  known  locally 
as  a  "  rinder,"  or  escuelle,  though  the  latter  term  really  applies  to 
a  more  elaborate  machine,  such  as  is  used  in  Messina.  The  rinder 
is  a  shallow  copper  basin  coated  with  tin  on  the  inside  and  studded 
thickly,  with  sharp  copper  tacks  of  about  three  quarters  of  an  inch 
in  length,  pointing  inward  and  upward.  At  the  bottom  of  this 
vessel  in  an  oil-collecting  receptacle,  which  is  shaped  like  the  spout 
of  a  funnel,  with  the  larger  end  opening  into  the  basin  and  the 
small  end  closed.  Some  of  the  rinders  are  made  locally  and  do 
not  have  a  very  finished  appearance.  The  tendency  has  been  to 
make  the  points  too  long,  too  sharp,  and  uneven.  The  rinder  is 
held  between  the  knees  of  the  operator,  who  is  seated,  and  with  the 
open  palm  of  the  hand  the  orange  is  rolled  lightly  over  the  points  of 
the  tacks.  These  prick  the  cells  of  the  rind,  and  the  oil  oozes  out. 
The  orange  is  ordinarily  rolled  until  no  more  oil  exudes.  When  the 
funnel  is  filled  the  oil  is  poured  through  a  piece  of  cloth  into  an 
ordinary  bottle  which  holds  a  quart  or  less. 
At  this  stage  of  the  process  the  oil  frequently  is  found  to  con- 
tain some  orange  juice,  and  at  times  a  mucilage.  These  foreign 
substances  sometimes  make  it  necessary  that  the  oil  be  permitted  to 
settle.  Thereafter  it  is  carefully  drawn  off  and  filtered.  The 
rinding,  though  a  simple  operation,  requires  some  care  and  skill. 
The  length  and  evenness  of  the  tacks  in  the  rinder  are  important 
factors  for  the  extraction  of  the  oil  without  great  waste.  They 
should  prick  the  orange  skin  only.    If  they  are  uneven,  or  too  long 
