Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 149, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1915 — Fine Butter Made from Trees [ARTICLE]

Fine Butter Made from Trees

There are several trees that yield an oily substance much resembling butter and making a good substitute for it. Some of these grow In Europe, but the best species are natives of Africa and South America. The Bassia butyracea, or the "shea butter” as it is commonly called, grows wild on the west coast of Africa. The butter obtained from this tree is derived by pounding and pressing the seeds, which are three inches long. When extracted," the oil assumes the consistency of butter and smells like chocolate. Not only is it an excellent article, of food, but it is used extensively for the making of soap and candles. The seeds of the crab tree of Brasil and Guiana are 70 per cent fat and the “crab wood tallow” derived from them is. excellent for the manufacture of candles and soap. When boiled, the tallow turns out yellow butter which contains a small quantity of strychnine. The latter, however, Is easily removed by prolonged ladling. From the nutmeg a useful fat Is obtained. The nutmegs which have been broken or damaged by insects axe roasted, ground and pressed for the fiat, which is used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. ▲ tree abounding in the forests of Africa and called by Kaffirs “chlgnite,” yields (front the fruit bark the exact source being unknown) a white butterlike substance which constitutes an important article of commerce on that