The cultivation of the Palma christi, and the manufacture of castor oil, is extensively carried on in some parts of the United States, and continues on the increase.  A single firm at St. Louis has worked up 18,500 bushels of beans in four months, producing 17,750 gallons of oil, and it is stated that 800 barrels have been sold, at 50 dollars per barrel.  The oil may be prepared for burning, for machinery, soap, &c., and is also convertible into stearine.  It is more soluble in alcohol than lard-oil.

American castor oil is imported for the most part from New York and New Orleans, but some comes from our own possessions in North America.  In the United States, according to the “American Dispensatory,” the cleansed seeds are gently heated in a shallow iron reservoir, to render the oil liquid for easy expression, and then compressed in a powerful screw press, by which a whitish oily liquid is obtained, which is boiled with water in clean iron boilers, and the impurities skimmed off as they rise to the surface.  The water dissolves the mucilage and starch, and the heat coagulates the albumen, which forms a whitish layer between the oil and water.  The clear oil is now removed, and boiled with a minute portion of water until aqueous vapors cease to arise:  by this process an acrid volatile matter is got rid of.  The oil is put into barrels, and in this way is sent into the market.  American oil has the reputation of being adulterated with olive oil.  Good seeds yield about 25 per cent. of oil.  A large proportion of the drug consumed in the eastern section of the Union is derived by way of New Orleans from Illinois and the neighbouring States, where it is so abundant that it is sometimes used for burning in lamps.

In Jamaica the bruised seeds are boiled with water in an iron pot, and the liquid kept constantly stirred.  The oil which separates swims on the top, mixed with a white froth, and is skimmed off.  The skimmings are heated in a small iron pot, and strained through a cloth.  When cold it is put in jars or bottles for use.

Castor oil imported.      Retained.
lbs.               lbs.
1826           263,382            453,072
1831           393,191            327,940
1836           981,585            809,559
1841           871,136            732,720
1846         1,477,168               —­
1849         1,084,272               —­
1850         3,495,632               —­

The imports of castor oil come chiefly from the East India Company’s possessions, and were as follows, nearly all being retained for home consumption:—­

lbs.
1830         490,558
1831         343,373
1832         257,386
1833         316,779
1834         685,457
1835       1,107,115
1836         972,552
1837         957,164
1838         837,143
1839         916,370
1840       1,190,173
1841         869,947
1842         490,156
1843         717,696

In 1841, 12,406 Indian maunds of castor oil were shipped from Calcutta alone, and 7,906 ditto in 1842.