Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-11-13
INSTANTANEOUS.
FROM THE AMERICAN FARMER.
Nnnaho.is, MHg. 10, 1921.

IRON THE AMlHiCAA FARMER.
lnnahosis, ANg. 10, 1921.
AS vegetable oils arc becoming sub
ject of inquiry 10 the United States,
through the medium Of your valuable
press send you below the best account
which has yet been published on the
Sun-Flower Seed Oil. 1t is summary
Of an essay published in The transactions
of the American Philosophical Society,
by Or. J. Morgan. Yours,
JAMES BOYLE.
SUN-FL0vER SEED OIL.
The grinding OF the SUM- lower Seeds,
and expressing of oil from the same, is
a manufacture, which, as far as can be
yet learned, was first begun among the
Morayian brethren at bethlehem, and
reflects honor upon them, whilst 1t affords
the public new substance very benefi-
ciai i'll variety Of purposes, out more
especially as it may serve FOR salad oil,
and for other uses OF diet and medicine,
in the place Of olive OIL
From experiments already made at
Bethlehem, il appears that heshei Of
Sun-Aower Seed will yield. ON express
sion, near gallon of oil. The gentle
man, who is appointed by the comnu-
nifty there to superlntend their mills, de-
signs as we arc informed, to pursue a
further course OF experiments on this
subject, the result Of which, we hope,
will be communicated to this society.
Our correspondent at Lancaster in
forms the society, that some persons in
the neighborhood of that place, have al
SO expressed quantity of oil from the
seeds Of the sun-hower q
His account is as follows:
The person who has raised the grcatct
quantity of the sun-ilowers with US, in
forms me, that one hundred plants, set
about three feet distance from each other,
in the same manner as Indian corn is
commonly planted, will produce one
bushel of seed, without any other trouble
than that Of putting the seed into the
ground from which he thinks one gal
lon of oil may De made Iobseryed the
land on which he plauSed the sun-tlowers
to be of the Iniddling sort, and that he
took no pains to hil. them, o. even to
loosen the ground about them, which,
from my own observations on some plant
ed in a neighboring garden, ! take to be
Of considerable use.
As the sun-flower is plant of consi-
derable increase, and requires much
nourishment killing DOES not seem
SO good method as that Of setting tue
seed or, plant in hole, and when the
plant is about a yard high, to throw ii
the mould round the stalk, so that the
surface .ofthe ground may be even about
it. By an estimate made, it appears that
one acre land will yield between forty aad
fifty bushels OF seed, which will produce
as many gallons OF oil. The process for
making or extracting the oil is the same
as that Of making linseed oil, which
make no doubt the society is acquaint-
cd with, and therefore shall not trouble
you with it.
The success attending the trials alrea-
.dy made, gives the greatest encourage
ment to prosecute this useful discovery.
And as the seeds of the sun flower are
at this time nearly ripe, and in a proper
state for extracting the oil from them,
it may be of service to lay these facts be-
fore the public. Such as may have an
inclination to make trials on this subject,
and are not at present furnished with a
sufficient quantity of seed for pressing
out, an oil, may now supply themselves
with enough TO plant for making experi-
ments the ensuing year.
For the inflammation of those who have
both the opportunity and inclination TO
extend the inquiry, and render this va
liable branch of business, but are not
acquainted with the general principles
upon which oil lis obtained, by expression
from vegetable substances, it may be pro-
per to observe, that the kernels offruits,
such as wainuts, hickory nuts, filberts,
almonds, peaches, SC. and the seeds of
Z many plants, as mustard, rape, poppy,
flax, sun-Aower, sumach, mullen, Sc.
contain large portion Of mild oil. In
order to obtain the oil, the kernels or
seeds are commonly rubbed to powder,
or ground in mills. They are then put
into strong bag, made of canvass or
wooIlen cloth, and committed to press
between iron plates, by which the oilis
squeezed out, and is received or conduct
ed into proper vessel to collect it. The
plates Of the press are often heated, eli
Their in boiling water or before the fire.
Many heat the mash itselfin large iron