The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-04-23
CASTOR BEANS ARE
WANTED At STATION
They Will Be Taken To Gain In
formation As To varie
ties In Hawaii

The |. :. Experiment Station has re
cciv6d further advices from Washing
ton to the effect that the government
is still Interested in the growth and
production Of castor beans and al
though no definite contract has yet
been euthorlzcI from Washington on
account Of uncertainties in shipping
facilities. the /. s. Experiment Sta.
hon VIZ continue to offer five cents q
pound for all the beans that are gath
cred by school children md Boy Scouts
1t has ais" made arrangements for tn,
marketing at the best possible fgurr
for all other commercial lots of these
beans TINT may be gathered by indi
Viduals or plantations throughout the
Islands.
The L. < Experiment Station will
be glad to receive all varieties Of cas-
tor beans IN order that definite in
formation may be obtained as to the
kinds that are available here and the
location Of the plants in question. 1t il
noted, however, that the trade prefe RS
the smaller beans-those about the size
of the white navy beans rather thai
the lurGer size castor bean which is near
ly MS large as the lima bean.
urth"r advices from Washington
will br necessary before IL can be de
t'rmined if it will be practicable t,
llakC paintings Of the castor oil bean
: is being done in California and Ger
tain other states in the Union. Al,
500 = definite information is received
pla ia. instructions will be given out
in sc it seems practicable to under
tai 'lntings Of the castor bean OF
a l-.gv scale
Yields of from thirty to forty busheE
per mere have been reported from mos
e the southern statt s, but no definite
fgr"' re available at the present time
IJr hawaii conditions.
In the United States castor beam
are used in quantity only by manu-
fact urers of castor,oil. The prineipa
cast or oil mills are located at jersey
City, N. Y. Buffalo, N. Y; Toledo,
o. and Grand Rapids, Mich. In gen.
eral the equipment and operation OF
castor oil mill resembles that of a
colt onseed-o oil mill OF linseed-oil mill.
but special and expensive equipment
Is necessary for the proper extraction
Of the oil from the castor beans. The
best grade of oil is obtained from the
beans by hydraulic pressure. An add.
tional quantity of oil Of lower grade
is obtained by treating the press cake
with naptha or other volatile solvent.
Pomace, resulting from the second ex
traction, is used as fertilizer 70
tobacco, corn and other crops, but be
cause of a poisonous principal cannO
be used for cattle feeding unless spec
tally treated. .,.,..
Owing to, the heavy outlay requir
ed, for the necessary machinery an(
high cost of manufacture on a small
scale, it has not been found profitable
for the growers Of castor beans to
undertake the extraction of the oil
The castoro plant is now known t.
be poisonous, and although the leaves
are not relished by farm animals they
are said to be used as fodder for cat
tie in India. Castor beans, however
contain q poisonous principal, and
though harmless when handled, may
cause serious if not fatal effects wher
eaten, especially in the case of small
children. Care should be taken to pre-
vent these beans from being accidental
ly mixed with the grain fed to animals
since many cases have been reported il
which the death of horses has beeI
due to eating feed in which they hav,
become mixed.