Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-10
Just Castor Oil
BY Frederic J. Haskin

The war, which has revived 90 many
dead and dormant industries in this
country, has added 10 its list the rc-birth
Of castor oil as an important American
| product.
| After n good many years of compare
! tive obscufty the Ricinus Communis, or
/ castor oil beam plant, has become for the
] time being Mt leust, an indispensable part
| of our national scheme of things. Through
| the direction Of the Department of Agri-
| culture, more than 10000 acres of the
| plant have been grown in the southwestern
and southern States during the last year,
| particularly in California
The reason is simple enough. Castor
| oil, besides being valuable medicine, is
now essential as a lubricant Certain
| types Of aeroplanes especially the adj
vanced trimming plane, cannot be SUCCESS
| fully operated without its assistance.
| Gas, in motors Of this sort. is brought
| through the crank case where it comes into
contact with the oil. Castor OIL happily,
| is but slightly soluble in gasoline, and re-
mains virtually unaffected by il No other
| lubricant seems 10 perform this function
| adequately.
| UP AGAINST 4 SHORTAGE.
When the first features Of the aircraft
| program were agreed upon after the Unit
| ed States went into the war, the directors
| OF the program were confronted with the
| fact that millions of gallons Of castor oil
must be secured for the lubrication Of
rotary aviation motors The available
supply at that time was only 100000
| gallons The affair had such q serious as-
pect that the Secretary Of War appointed
n board to deal expressly with the prob
lem This board included representatives.
| Of the Department Of Agriculture, the
aviation section of the Signal Corps, the
| Expert Bureau of the War Trade Board,
and few civilian experts
Sometime before this, q few Americans,
| Interested m agriculture, and who were
| informed regarding the situation IN lubri-
| cants, advocated au extensive planting of
| the Ricinus Communis IN such parts of
| the country where the climatic conditions
| favored successful crop Among these
was Mrs. George Quintward Horwitz, p
| Philadelphia society leader. who had cx-
perimented with the plant on her estate
a Moorehaven, Florida, and had achieved
very gratifying results
he first provision of the Gastor Oil
Productions Board, appointed by Secre-
tary Baker, was to arrange the planting
Of DO000 acres IN castor beans in this
country, IN Cubs, Haiti, Santo Domingo.
and elsewhere. This was done under
government contracts. Encouragement
was also given to the individual farmer to
cultivate the castor oil plant BY fixing a
| minimum price Of $3.50 for the beans
Enough Of them responded TO add materi-
ally TO the size Of last wears crop.
Through the British Government, the
board arranged to have the steamship
I Adelaide sent from Bombay to this
country with 4 cargo Of 5000 long tons Of
castor beans OF this about 200 tons were
used as seed, and the rest pressed into
lubncatlDg oils for use on army aeroplanes
More than 10000 gallons Of oil were ac-
qlired IN thIs manner The board also go
cured a million gallons Of oil IN England
where the Recinus Communis IS grown to
some extent, and shipped II direct to
France In all about ,, 100000 gallons
were secured.
ROTARY MOTOR ESSENTIAL
Castor oil, IT may be noted Is not
essential rs a lubricant for the Liberty
Motor or for most other motors built on
the reciprocating plan, but it ls absolutely
needful for motors Of the rotary type. A
large number Of these motors are now in
use on the western front, and great
many more are being constructed. Most
OF the AIR service training planes have ro-
tarv motors. One hundred and fifty Of
these have been built, and about third
OF that number are IN the process Of
assembly. The new siDgle-seated pursuit
planes will also have rotary motors. Ii
will be seen then that castor beans must
be an important part of our crop produc-
ton for the next few years
Castor oil plants are not native TO
America sz - rbaxr halCnFr
primarily to tropical Africa, but they have
been most successfully and profitably
grown in India. They have been tried out
IN Italy and other Mediterranean coun-
tries with fairly good results. Something
more than 40 years ago the plant was in
troduced into this country and 1t thrlved
amazingly IN the warm sunshine and fer
tile soil Of California, Kansas, Missouri
and q few other States. For q few wears |
small crops were sown regularly The de- |
mand for castor oil at that time was limit |
ed TO medicinal uses, and for some pro- |
ceSSes of manufacture. So much oil was |
imported from Calcutta and elsewhere, |
and sold so cheaply that the American /
planters could find no market and the /
RecInus Communis gradually disappeared /
from our fields.
NOT DIFFICULT TO GROW
Every effort is now being expended TO |
restore 1t. The experiment should be a /
profitable one for farmers and gardeners, I
because a single acre will yield enough |
beans to make 20 gallons OF the No. | (
grade oil. The growing of the plant is not I
difficult, but IT entails more or less at /
tention and care. The beans should be I
sown singly in pots, and late 10 February
or early March should be placed in heat. |
1t is best that young plants be kept under /
glass covering until about the first of /
June. when they should be hardened and
may be put out,
The Ricinus Communis Yields a three
celled capsule, each cell containing a
single seed. The seeds differ in coloring
and size according TO the variety of the
plant. They are rendered poisonous bv
tissue of toxic substance
Oil for use IN aviation engines, and for
other purposes, is secured from the beans
by two methods. The formula in most
general use requires that the beans be
crushed cold between rollers and then
pressed In n hydraulic press. The water *