CASTOR OIL PLANT: A POSSIBLE NEW INDUSTRY. 
The Special Committee investigating this subject consists of— 
Mr. H. Pye, Cerealist to the Victorian Government, Agricultural College, 
Dookie (Chairman) ; 
Mr. BE. C. Lycerr, Lycett Pty. Ltd., Castor Oil Manufacturers, Montague, 
Melbourne; 
Mr. C. Napier, Cockatoo; \ 
Mr. W. B. ALEXANDER (Secretary) ; 
with Mr. D. Jones (Brisbane), and Mr. W. J. Sparrorp (Adelaide), as corre- 
sponding members. 
Extracts from the two progress reports of the Committee follow:— 
Exrracts ©romM First Progress Report, NoveMBER, 1918. 
1. Experiments at Cockatoo—Mr. Napier’s land has been ploughed, and the 
greater portion of it sown with castor seeds. Certain areas have, however, been 
left for transplanting seedlings which will be thinned out. 
Four varieties of seed are being grown on a large scale, viz., Coconada (India), 
Java, New Caledonia, and Bengal. A small area has been planted with seed 
from Dookie, Victoria, and seeds of thirteen other varieties are being grown in an 
experimental bed. 
Seedlings of some of the varieties are now appearing, and a small amount of 
damage has been done by slugs. Specimens of these, and of certain insects 
observed on. the crop, are being preserved, together with specimens showing 
damage done by the slugs. 
2. Haperiments at Violet Town—Mr. Lycett is experimenting with seven 
different varieties. About 39 acres have been planted with Coconada seed, 1 acre 
has been divided between Java and New Caledonia seed, and short rows of four 
other varieties have been planted. 
3. Information from Queensland.—Mr. D. Jones has supplied a considerable, 
amount of information as to conditions in Queensland, from which it appears that 
a number of very distinct varieties are growing in that State, and that the castor 
oil plant does especially well in the north and west. Mr. Jones has interested 
himself in the cultivation of this plant for a number of years, and has beem 
erowing a variety called by him “ Eureka,” which he has distributed to a number 
of persons from time to time. Mr. J. B. Henderson, Government Analyst, 
Brisbane, reported that a sample of seed of this variety submitted to him con- 
tained 59 per cent. of oil, but a sample submitted to Mr. Lycett was not found 
so satisfactory. Mr. Jones was responsible for the introduction of seed into New 
Caledonia about six years ago, but during the intervening period the seed appears 
to have become somewhat modified, and the oil content of New Caledonian. seed 
tested by Mr. Lycett was considerably higher than that of the Eureka seed 
supplied by Mr. Jones. 
EXTRACTS FROM SECOND PROGRESS Report, FEBRUARY, 1919. 
1. Experiments at Cockatoo—The seeds sown at Cockatoo were very slow in 
germinating, probably owing to the late cold spring, and some of the earlier 
plants were checked by late frosts, though they were not actually killed. ‘The 
very dry summer has been inimical to the growth of the plants, and of the 40 
acres. sown only about 15 acres appear likely to bear this year, though, it is 
probable that some of the other plants might come into bearing if good rains were 
received. The plants which have done well are the ones on the flats, where the 
soil has remained moist. Many of these plants are from 3 to 4 feet high, and 
are flowering and fruiting freely. ; 
Io! 
