The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1900-05-17

Ny Z fe@ti ~ iit1 re- au;!y h6en drawn
By 9;5.l5lela-l .. 5Iis ci5y 10 the plant
Known as 80 Sc >a:a OF belns pant.
have been snie;tvorlng to learn all about
1t thae | could in a limited space of time,
and Ca-se this opportunity Sc giving those
interested such results as | have been
able to obtain. | quote such facts as /
have been able to find in various works
OF reference. The plant is valuable for
its leaves and its seed, particularly the
latter. The seed are small, but full of an
excellent oil, known variously by the
names Of oil of sesame or oil of benne or
gingelly or teel, principally, however, by
the name of oil of sesame. The plant is
grown largely in India for the sake of its
oil, which is pressed from the seed. The
oil is used largely for the same purposes
as olive oil, and though not SO widely
known by name, is used for the same
purposes as olive oil, for cooking, for
eating and for pharmaceutical prepare
lions. The plant does not flourish in
Europe, but it is commercially import
ant there, from one hundred to one hun
dred and seventy five million pounds of
the seed are imported annually into
France The seed are sweet and oleag-
nous, the oil pressed from them is bland
and pleasant to the TASTE and is far su.
perior to all other oils in the length of
time it will keep sweet and pure, being
rarely ever known to turn rancid, being
thus especially fitted for use in medicine
and as an article of food. In Egypt the
seed are eaten strewn on cakes and also
used in confectionery. The cake from
which the oil has been pressed, mixed
with honey and citron, is esteemed as an
oriental luxury. The oil is also much
used by the women of some eastern
countries as cosmetic The leaves
abound IN a gummy substance which
they readily yield to water, making a
rich, bland mucilage, which is used by
the negroes of the southern portion of
the United States, who grow it in small
patches, as a demulcent medicinal drink
the leaves and seeds being similarly
used by the natives of India for medic
inal purposes. The United States De.
partment of Agriculture writes me as fol.
lows regarding the plant: This plant
is of very easy cultivation in the warm
sections Of the United States. 1t does
not succeed well north of Virginia.
Where it is cultivated at all, the methods
are much the same as for growing pea
nuts The seeds are planted in warm
soil Of medium. texture and fertility, and
the plants kept free from weeds through
out the summer. Even when left TO take
care of itself in fence-rows or other ont
of the way places, as is the common
practice among the colored people who
grow it, it yields fairly we'll"
Now here is a new and valuable plant
the growth of which in the south is no
experiment, it having been grown here
for number of years il a shiftless.
careless way by few darkeys. If intel
hgent, wide-awake farmers will take il
up, it may become new source of
wealth to them and their section. The
oil is worth in Atlanta about 20 cents a
gallon, and the gentleman who first
brought the matter to my attention, but
who does not care to have his name
given, would be willing to pay that
price for about 5000 gallons of the oil
per annum. With the production the
demand would grow, and it is quite
probable that those who are enterprising
enough to take it up at once, would find
a good demand for the first years crou
for planting purposes.
l have received the following kind LEFT.
ter from the United States Department
of Agriculture:
WASHINGTON, April 18th, 1900.
Professor John NJ. McCandless, Depart
ment Of Agriculture, Atlanta, Ga:
DEAR SR-In accordance with yours
of April 18th, l have mailed you a pack. I
age of sesame seed. We have about 40
pint packages of this seed imported from
Tashkent, Russian Turkestan, and these
gain Of the steer The cow has produced |
"a per cent. of sugar against the steers
nothing, five and one-third times as
much protein and over half as much fat, |
and If the sugar is reduced to its fat |
equivalent, nearly as much fat as the
steer. Practically all of the constituents
of milk are digestible and it constitutes |
the best and most nourishing of foods. |
1t Is thus apparent that the cow is by far |
the most economical machine for the
condensing and manufacture of our
course folders and grains into cheap
food products.
In an experiment conducted at the
Ontario Agricultural College one of the
group Of steers fed on ration of $3.50 |
pounds of ensilage and 964 pounds of |
mixed meal for $50 days gave the follow.
ing financial results:
Cost of steer at commence
ment of test S51 %