Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Volume IV, Number 3, 19 January 1865 — Castor Oil. [ARTICLE]

Castor Oil.

The castor oil tree first introduced here by . It grows abundantly in Egypt, PaJestine, Greece and southern Spain. Itisbelievved by most learned men to be thē plant under whieh Jonah sat, waiting to see the destruction of Nineveh, and it is so tPanslated in the Hawaiian Bible. There ai*e two ways or eStracting- the oil from the seeds, one by bruising- then, placing them in a bng and boiling them and skimming ofT the oii as it rises to the surface. The other by pressing them in a powerful hydraulic press. The latter way is the bēst, and produces the best oil. in the United States Castor oil beans are cultivated, mostly in southern Illinois."' As the plahts there are killed by the co!d of winter, they are planted again every year, very mūeh in the manner of planting indian Corn. The crop is gathered in September and October. From 1§ to 20 bushels Jof seed are obtained from an acre. Most of the castor oil in tn'e United States, is manufactured at St. Louis, the great Commercial city of Missouri, 17 miles be!ow the confluenee of the Missouri and Missipippi Rivers. in one great establishment during the three months of July,' August and September, 1854, there were m*anufnctured 3200 gallons of castor oil.

Th« refuse whieh is left after expressing the oil, is used for fūel. The crop of castor oil bean in Illinois in 1850 was 250,000 bushels, and the amount of oii nmnufactured was 9900 barrels, or 350,000 gallons. They have commenced thS business in California, but we do not know exactly to what extent. As the plant grows so well here in HaWaii nei without any cultivation, we have strong hopes that it wilbbecome a new source of weahh, and furnish profituble employment to the women and children jn picking the seeds, Success then tothe Messrs' Cotton io their new euterprise