August i, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



161 



PACHOULI AND THE DISTILLATION OF 

 ESSENTIAL OILS : NEW INDUSTRIES. 



4, Guildhiill Chambers, 33, Basinghall St, Loudou E.C., 



9th Juue 1882. 



Dear Sir, — We can reply to one query made by 

 , "W. T. Mcli." in his Icttei- upon paohonli under dat« 

 2l3t March in your Tropical Ayriculturist. He wishes 

 to know how it is obtaiLcd. In reply we will give 

 particulars of a small still which has lately been 

 brouyht out in Loudon, the price for which briiigs 

 it within reach of all, and should make the extraction 

 of perfumes an interesting occupation for ladies as 

 well as a profitable pursuit possibly in your island, 

 favoured with such luxuriant growth of vegetation. 

 The price of this still is 453. Many a dower is 

 wasting its sweetness in the desert air, but the gard- 

 ens of Damascus and nearer home, the neighbour- 

 hood of Mitcham in Surrey, yield most profitable 

 returns to the cultivators. By the aid of the still the 

 essential oil which is the cause of scent in Howers is 

 obtained. There exists a considerable difiference be- 

 tween the oils producing perfumes and those which 

 are used iu lamps, i&o. The latter are termed Jixed 

 oils, whilst the former, from being easily evaporated, 

 are termed volatile oils. This difference will be readily 

 understood by trying the following experiment. 

 Drop a little otto of roses and some almond oil 

 on the two opposite corners of a piece of blotting- 

 paper, and hold each over the dame of a candle. 

 The otto of roses if pure will evaporate entirely 

 without leaving the least stain, whilst the almond 

 oil will not leave the paper until it is completely 

 burned. From this may be marked the diU'erenco 

 between oil produced from flowers and from fruit. The 

 object of the still is to separate the volatile oil trom 

 the grosser or solid parts with which it is associated. 

 For this purpose beat is applied to convert the 

 oil first into a state of vapoui', and subsequently this 

 is ooudeneed and becomes a liquid. Some flowers 

 yield their es.-ential cil readily ; others part with it 

 more slowly. The distillation of brandy, rum, gin, 

 then wine, and lastly ale, can be tried first, as these 

 contain sujcessiveiy less spirit, and so prepare the way 

 to the more delicate and less producing process of the 

 disiillatiiin of H -wers. When a toleiable .Tmount of 

 success has been iirrived at, then the dis illatiou 

 of a spirituous extract of the essential oil of floweis 

 may be attempted, and so by each step a readiness 

 and ea*e iu the use of 'he still will be acquind. 



Wear making enquiries as to the market value of 

 the prrduce, and other par'.icniars which may be of 

 seivic^.-Yours faithfully, HUTCHISON & Co. 



COVERING I INCHONA TREES :— EXPERIENCE 

 RELAI'ED AND INFORMATION WANTED. 



Dear Sir, — I purposed writing you tnday on the 

 subject of cnveriug for shaved cinchona trees in th" hope 

 of eliciting from you, or some of your correspondents, 

 a few wrinkles which might help me in my perplexity. 



I now find from your issue of the 2(3tli inst. there 

 are other?, as well as myself, in want of information, 

 and, as I have tried one or two of the suljstances 

 mentioned in their left- rs, I shall (iive my experience 

 of them, and trust others vtiU enlighten, as to what 

 subsiances they have found most satisfactory. 



Plantain leaves ard pith I used last year, and these 

 seemed very suitable until showery w. alier began, when 

 they soon dec;iyed, became infested wi'h insects, and 

 had to be removed shiirp. 



Clay and cowduug, which, I was informed, wero the 

 correct curds, were also tried, and proved a complete 

 failure. 



Old eacka were a great success, but they too had to 

 be removed when the wet weather eet in. Sacks are 

 21 



expensive though, when manuring is not the order of 

 the d'ly. 



I subjected four trees to Karslake's dodge. The sun 

 soon shrivelled np the strip of bark left on the trees 

 which mnde it useless as a covering. One tree renewed 

 well, one middling, one badly, and one not at all. 



This year I began with straw mats on a few trees. 

 The Grst showery weather mildewed them, and the 

 insects soon appeared in shoals, so they had to be 

 discarded. Their cost too would prohibit their use when 

 griiss is plentiful. 



Mana and guinea grass were also tried, aud there 

 an be no doubt the former is much superior to the 

 latter, as it does not; stick to the tree bo closely nor, 

 rot so soon, but I have just removed it too, as it un- 

 doubtedly diimages the bark during wet weather also.,- 

 Bar the clay and cowduug I have no doubt any of 

 tiiese substances is quite suitable for covering during 

 dry weather, aud probably sacks or mana grass winild 

 answer all the year round in a comparatively dry dis- 

 trict, but here we get long spells of moist weather 

 during which everything gets staurated and rots 

 sooner or later and must then be remove.!. 



What I should feel obliged to learn is ; do shaved 

 trees require any covering in a cloudy ciiutate, and, if 

 so, what substance has been found most suitable dur- 

 ing wet weather? 



I have seen shaved trees renew their bark in dry 

 and wet weather without any covering which leaves 

 nothing to be desired as far as appearance goes, but 

 the question seems to be what about the quality? — 

 Yours truly, SCEPTIC. 



I'.S. — Last year my trees were only partly stripped; 

 this year shaved. S. 



INSECTS IN RUBBER, SEEDS. 



Dear Sir, — Under separate cover, by same post, 

 I send you eight Mozambique pink rubber seeds 

 (Landolphia Kirkii), infested with small white worms. ' 



These worms must have come with the seeds,' as' 

 the other kinds of rubber seeds, in the same bed^ , 

 are unaffected, and have vegetated very satisfactorily;' 

 while, of the Landolphia Ku-kii, not a seed has germ- 

 inated, although they have hail every attention. 



Can you, or any of your correspondents, recommend 

 a recipe that would destroy the worms without in- 

 juring the seeds? PLANTER. 



[In this particular case, killing the worms which 

 have alrendj' kille,l the seeds would be of very little' 

 u^e The gri'at point is that care be exercised in col- ' 

 IfccMng and packing the seeds. We should think a' 

 slight fumigation with sulphur might destroy all in- 

 sects and their eggs without destroying the vitaiity of 

 seeds. But gardeners aud others in the habit of 

 collecting and despatching seeds, must have h ng ago 

 fixed on the best agent for destroying the life germs 

 of insects without injuring the germinating powers of 

 seeds. — Ed] 



THE CORK TREE:— A NEW INDUSTRY. 

 BaduUa, 26th June, 



Dear Sir, — Enclesed is a cutting t'ken from the 

 Enr/iiiecr of 2nd June regarding the importation of 

 cork by England and its cultivation in Algeria. 



Can you give any information as to whether the 

 cork oak has been reared in Ceylon ? — Y- urs truly, 



B. B. 



Enghnil imports some 10,000 tons of corl- per annum, ami 

 the quantity is yearly increasin£r, notwitbsiaiuiing the in- 

 troJuetiou of many stoppers and snlisiitules for corks, such 

 as plugs of wood, whose fibres have been s.iecially softened 

 I'nr the purpose, indiarubber, and other materials. The 

 French Govfrnment are giving special c; curagement to 

 the plantation of the corK-oak in Algcrin, ami the same 

 tiling' will, no doubt, be dene iu TudU; hut, the Colonies 



