The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-12-24
2254
The Castor Oil Plant.

is now widely distributed ana
cultivated in various parts OF the
world. In it's native country it is
perennial, Is or 90 feet high, with a
thick stem. In cold climates 1t be-
comes an annual. There are many
instances of perennial plants becom'
ing ANIMALS by change OF climate. {
The rapid growth of the plant is
illustrated by an instance reported in
Tennessee. A castor bean was
planted in May, 1871, in garden in
Memphis, and in November it had
crown to the height of % feet, with
a spread of foliage Is feet in diane
ter. The trunk, 10 inches above the |
Ground. was Is inches in circumter-
ence.
There are many varieties of this
plant, but they are generally believed
to be derived from single species.
The most notable are Rici'amS sam
qui,aeous, the stem, leaf stalks, young
leaves and fruit of which are OF a
blood red color; Il. BorbonierSis,
which, in southern climates, attains
great height; and r. gigarteus.
The following varieties may be
enumerated, although described by
some as species:
/ 1. Rici1ats coaanaat'ais, Lin, the most
widely diffused, with glaucous'purple
stems.
2, r.. a,aerm,is, Jacq., a native OF
India.
8. r.. viridiS, Wild, also an Indian
species.
4. r. Hvidus. Jacq.. Cape of Good
Hope. .,,,
6. r. speciosatS, Wild, Java.
Z. IL. apeha. Lour. ROttterG cam
i to,aiegaSis, China.
(. 8. r.. mappa, Lin. Map20 mot~c-
cana, Amboyna.
9. II. tO,,Gg'iuS Linn, 1foppG tonari0,
Amboyna.
10. IL. oymatuS, or cO1nn1unis, Andrw.
II. r. dioicus, Foster, Mappa tanen-
sis, islands OF Southern Seas.
IL. r.. tunisensis, Desfont, Algeria.
The castor oil plant has been known
from the remotest ages. Caillard
found the seeds of it in some EgYp-
tan sarcophagi, supposed to have
been, at least, tour thousand years
old. Some people imagine 1t to be
the same plant that is called the
ia ~. .SaSi,s.sA~-s- Il wAA called
aloO2'0Ve by the Greeks, and siciaasli
by the Romars; in Hebrew, kikajon
and called by Pliny, cici or kiki. 1t
is singular that the oil expressed
from the seeds OF the cici should
have been used by the ancients, in
Guiding the Jews, as one of their
pleasantest oils for burning and for
several domestic uses, though its
medicinal virtues were unknown.
The modern Jews of London use this
oil by the name of oil of kiki for their
Sabbath lamps, it being one of the
five kinds Of oil their traditions allow
them to burn on such occasions.
The seeds are oval, somewhat COM
pressed, about four or five lines long,
three lines broad, and one and one
half line thick; externally they are
pale gray, but marbled with yellow
ish brown spots and stripes.
The oil is obtained from the seed
by expression, by boiling with water,
or by the agency Of alcohol. Nearly
all that is consumed in England is
obtained by expression. When the
outer skin is first removed by rollers,
previous to crushing and heating
them, clear and fine oil is produced,
the outer cutiole being applicable for
manufacturing and other purposes.
by this process the thicker portion, or
stearine, which is now lost (by being
mixed and left with the outer skin or
cuticle), is obtained, and the oleagi-
nous or thin portion of the oil is not
coored or deteriorated. The oil
thus obtained can be purified by jets
of gas, acids and heat, at about $50
to 100 degrees.
Official returns state that 24,145
acres under culture in the state of
Kansas. in 1875, produced 361,386
bushels OF seed.
In Iowa it is found a profitable
crop, the yield being Is to IS BUSH
els OF seed per acre, worth $3.50 to
$500 per bushel.
In America, the seeds, cleansed
from the dust and fragments of the
capsules, are submitted to a gentle
heat, not greater than can be borne
by the hand, which is intended to
render the oil more fluid, and there !
fore more easily expressed. The
whitish oily liquid thus obtained is
boiled with large quantity of water,
and the impurities skinned off as
thew rise 10 The Snrface The matnr