OIL MILL. The eXtractibh Of oil from seeds--Such as bussed, hempSeed, rapeseed, &c.—requires considerable pressure. The mode of obtaining linseed bit from lin or flat seed includes Many singular processes.
When the flat plants have grown to that stage which Imparts to the seed the greatest amount of oleaginous quality, they are polled, and partially dried in the air; and the dapSidet which centain the Seed are Stripped o/ by a' kind of comb called a ripple. The are dried, thrashed, and winnowed, to separate the seeds from Use basks or tapStiles. The seeds are estceedingly hard and Sitioeth, anti require one of tufo kinds of press to tritSh them ; One the wedge and the other the hydraulic prat. Iii the wedge press, a wedge is driven very forcibly between two bags Of and it is found that the oil is driven out of the seed by this process more readily than by the use Of a millstone. tilt in modern oil mills the hydratdie prose is gra dually superseding the wedge press. In pre paring the geed for the hydraulic press, the following is the routine of processes. The seed 15 bridged by two trashing-rollers, -so placed side by side that the seed, introduced between front a hopper at the top, be. conies crushed by the rotation, and falls into a chest beneath. The seeds are further ground or crushed by ordinary edge-stones, and as sume the state of an oily pulp. The pulp is heated, And put into oblong flannel bags. These bags are flattened slightly by the hand, and piled One on another In Cast-inn:1 cases,1 which are placed in the hydraulic dresses, The presses are then worked, and the oil speedily begins to ooze from the pulp through the'bags. When as Much oil has been oh
tainted as will flow by these means, the press is loosened, the bags removed, and the pressed cake of pulp taken Out of each bag; and this cake is ground, re-heated, re-bagged, and re= pressed, to yield mere oil. The refuse pulp now forms valuable manure, and commands a good price aS oil-cake. What is called cold datum linseed oil is obtained by pressing the seed immediately after it has been crushed, without any intertnediate heating; it is ob tained in small quantity, but of very fine quality, varies from 48 to 52 lbs, per bushel, or abort. 4001bs. per quarter ; the seed yields 13 to 10 gallons (Nibs. to 1221bs.) of oil per quarter, the average being about 10 gallons.
No other kind Of vegetable Oil requires so heavy a pressure as that procured from flax and similar seeds. In Italy and other north ern teinitries Where olive§ grow abundantly, the produce is ;Unshed beneath an edge-mill= stone, and then pressed, to force out the oil, in a scro•prees. Oil of almonds is procured by shaking the almond kernels iti bags, so as tb separate the brown eking, and then grinding and pressing them. Palm nil is procured fiend the Mitt of many species of palm, which the Afridens celled into a heap, and Steep in hot Water, by Which the oil is liberated and Made to swim oh the surfaces of the water, front Which it 15 after*Vds removed. Nut ail fig procured from \Veining and hazel-nuts, Whith hi the Sbutli Of Europe tantain sufficient oil to be Worth the process of pressing.