AtJG. 2, 2 886 J 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST . 



Hi 



HOW LEMON, OKANGE AND BEEGAMOT 

 ESSENCE IS MADE. 



Wallace S. Joues, U. S. Consul at Messiua, gives 

 the foUowiug iuteresting aceoant of the manufac- 

 ture of essential oil (essence) from the peel of the 

 lemon, sweet orange, sour orange and bergauiot, and 

 also of the extraction of the lemon and bergamot 

 juice, in the island of Sicily : — 



Essence of Lemon, Orange and Eekgamot. — The 

 operative with three strokes of a sharp knife peels 

 the lemon lengthwise, then cuts it in two and throws 

 it into a basket; the peel falls into an earthen plat- 

 ter below the chopping block, liofore the essence ig 

 extracted the peels are soaked fifteen minutes iu water, 

 which causes them to swell and offer a greater re- 

 sistance when pressed against the sponge. In his 

 left hand the operative holds a sponge, through which, 

 that he maj' grasp it more firmly, runs a piece of 

 reed cane. The peel, piece by piece, is pressed 

 against the sponge two or three times in succession, 

 simple pressure being supplemented by rotary press- 

 ure. The rushing of the oil cells liberates the es- 

 sence therein contained. The sponge when full of 

 essence is squeezed in an earthen vessel that the oper- 

 ative holds in his lap. It is the outside of the 

 peel that is pressed against the spoon, as the oil 

 glands are in the epicarp. This can be ascertained 

 by holding the pressed peel to the flame of a caudle ; 

 if it neither crackles nor affects the flame the cells 

 are empty. This process yields along with the es- 

 sence a small quantity of the juice and feccia (dregs). 

 The feccia is composed of the membraneous residue 

 of the oil cells and the resinous substances transfused 

 throughout the epicarp of the lemou ajid orange. 

 It is of a mucilaginous consistency, and of a 

 pale colour. It has not been analyzed chemically up 

 to date, and is put to no use. The seperation of the 

 essence, juice and feccia takes place of its own accord ; 

 if the earthen vessels are not disturbed the oil floats 

 on the juice and the dregs fall to the bottom. These 

 three products of different density derived from the 

 peel have no afiinity with one another. As the es- 

 sence rises to the surface it is transferred to bottles 

 and left a few days to settle; it is then drawn off 

 with a glass siphon into copper cans, which are her- 

 metically sealed. After the essence has been expresed 

 the peels are pressed (to extract what little juice 

 they may contain), and are then thrown on the man- 

 ure pile and icell rotted — or they would make too 

 heating a fertilizer. 



In a bergamot essence establishment at lleggio, on 

 the mainland, I recently saw iu operation a hand 

 machine for extracting essential oil. A thermopneu- 

 matic essence extractor worked by steam pow?r, has 

 also been invented, but the primitive method of 

 hand-work still generally prevails in Sicily. 



The yield of essence is very variable. Immature 

 lemons contain the most oil. From November to 

 April in the Province of Messiua, 1,000 lemons yield 

 about fourteen ounces of essence and ten gallons of 

 juice. This industry is carried on during five months 

 of the year. An operative can express three baskets 

 of lemon peel (weighing 190 pounds) a day. He is 

 paid seventeen cents a basket. The essence is so 

 valuable that the operators are closely watched, as 

 they are most ingenious in secreting it. 



During the year 1885 the essence exported from 

 Me.«siDa were valued at $1982,894, of which sum 

 8137,375 were shipp'od direct to the United States, 



Lemon essence is (luoted hero to-day at $2.47 per 

 pound. 



Bergamot essence S^-^o per pound. 

 Sweet orange essence $'2M0 per pound. 

 Sour orange essence l^l'DO per pound. 



The copper cans weigh (on an average) four pounds, 

 and contain twenty pounds of essence e.ich. 



Lemon peels, valued at §980, were exported to the 

 United States in 1884. 



Six men work up 8,001) lemons a day, two cutting 

 off the peels while four cxtact the esscuce of juice, 

 »)id obtaiu : 



Eighty-four gallons of juice. 



Seven pounds of essence. 



Which, after deducting the cost of labour, fruit, and 

 incidental expenses, leaves a net profit of ,iJG. Specu- 

 lators frequently adulterate the essence, but these 

 frauds are easily detected. 



Lemons grow on clay soil yield more essence than 

 those grown on calcarious or rocky soil. 



ExTR.\crioN OF LEMOiV Juice. — Closely connected 

 with the extraction of essence from the lemon and 

 bergamot is the extraction of lemou and bergamot 

 juice. When the juice has been concentrated by 

 boiling it is called ui/rocoitu. Lemons unfit for ex- 

 portation are used for this purpose. 



The method iu use is as follows: — On the marble 

 bed of the press are superposed nine mats (made of 

 bulrushes) three feet in diameter; iu their centre is 

 a hole six inches iu diameter ; their outer edge turns 

 back a half-foot. These mats arc filled with peeled 

 lemons, and piled one on the other. A following 

 block is placed on toj) of these mats. These presses 

 have two wooden screws, firmly set in masonry, about 

 six feet apart. There is a tap for each screw ; the 

 taps are worked down by hand-lever. The juice flows 

 from the bed of the press into tubs. If the juice is 

 to be exported raw, sound lemons only are pressed ; 

 if the juice is to be boiled, which is generally the 

 case, 25 per cent, of spoilt lemous may be used. 

 Lemou juice does not keep well unless boiled. Sound 

 fruit when pressed yields a slightly perfumed yellow- 

 ish juice. The lemons remain in the press twelve 

 hours. Independently of the intrinsic quality of the 

 lemous, the ;iniount of juice and its degree of acidity 

 varies from month to month. The yield is greatest 

 in the spring, but of less acidity, owing to the winter 

 rains. 



There is a machine for cutting up the lemons, but 

 the Sicilians are wedded to their old methods of 

 hand labour. 



In 1885 the concentrated lemon juice exported 

 from Messina was valued •s298,707, of which s49,203 

 worth was shipped to the United States. 



Taxes in Italy are very onerous. Manufacturers 

 fearing an increase of taxation, should the extent of 

 their business become known, are so reticent that it 

 is impossible to ascertain accuiately their profits from 

 the lemon juice industry. It may be safely said, 

 however, that their piofits are very handsome. 



Concentrated lemon juice is quoted at §160 a pipe 

 (105 gallons). 



Concentrated bergamot juice is (juoted at s.130.50 a 

 pipe (105 gallons). — Florida Disimtcli. 



Useful Gr-Iss fob a Warm District.— A sample 

 of a rare and valuable grass named Euchlc-ena (Keeana) 

 luxurians, the teasinte of Central America, was ex- 

 hibited (writes the Leader) at the show of the Bel- 

 fast Horticultural Society. This splendid grass com- 

 parable in size with the pampas grass, is one of the 

 best and most productive forage plants known, the 

 leaves attaining a length of 3 feet. A large number 

 of stems, says Baron von Mueller, springs from the 

 Fame root, and attain a height of 11 feet or more. 

 The young shoots, when boiled, constitute a fair 

 culinary esculent. As to its prolificacy, it is said that 

 Dr. Schweinfurth harvested at CHiro from three seeds 

 a return of l-_',000 in one year. The plant particularly 

 in its young state, is remarkably saccharine. Vilmorin 

 estimated that one plant is sufScientfor two ead of catttle 

 during twentv-four hours. It is already grown iu Queens ■ 

 land, where Mons. Thoset, at Kockhampton obtaiued 

 plants 12 feet in height and the same in width, in 

 dam|), alluvial soil, each with 32 main stalks bearing 

 nearly lOO flower bunches. It is rather slower iu 

 growth than n)ai;^e, but lasts longer for green fodder, 

 and not so hardy as sorghum. As a forage plant it 

 is without a rival in climes free from frost. It likes 

 humid soil best, but is able to resist extreme dry- 

 ness. It is therefore, certainly worthy of extensive 

 trial wherever frosts are light, for thougli a tender 

 plant it would not likely be killed by a light frost 

 after being tbuioughly establiglied,— :\Vw ZMhiid 



