275 

 GRASS OILS, II. 



An article on Grass Oils appeared in the March Bulletin, page 53 ; 

 the following information is now added: — 



Mr. J. Ch. Sawer to Director Public Gardens and Plantations. 



6, Cleveland Road, Brighton, 

 17th April, 1903. 

 Dear Sir, 



I received to-day your favour dated 1st instant. The 2 sam- 

 ples of grass oils were forwarded to the laboratory of Messrs. Schim- 

 mel & Co. and will probably be noticed in their April and May 

 Report. I think you will find that rfchiramel & Co. agree with me 

 that Lemon grass is Andropogon citratus of DeCandoUe — which is 

 certainly a different plant to A. Schoenanthus (which yields palm-rosa 

 oil.) 



I took a small sample out of the bottle of lemon-grass oil and sub- 

 mitted it to Messrs. Lambert and Strong of Mincing Lane— eminent 

 drug-brokers. They pronounced it to be "very good" — I gave your 

 name and address, and they said they would communicate with you 

 direct respeciing same. The E. Indian oils are now so grossly adulte- 

 rated that the market is glad to get anything from a reliable source. 

 We are obliged to have analysis for oils in London now, and their 

 certificates are required in Mincing Lane, — otherwise buyers would be 

 afraid to bid at the drug sales or buy by private treaty. New uses 

 have lately been found for letnon-grass oil, and from citronella they 

 extract the citronellal for fabricating an imitation oil of rose. 



I should like one copy of the Bulletin (March) and perhaps you 

 could send one to Mr. Ernest J. Parry. 



I sincerely hope your distillers will succeed in this enterprise, and I 

 will at all times do my best to further it. 



Yours very truly, 



J. Ch. Sawer. 



"The May price quoted by Schimmel&Co. in the wholesale list is 8/6 per lb. for 

 Lemon.grtiss, and 1/ld. per lb. for Ceylon Citrouella." J. Ch. Sawer, in letter 

 dated 8th June. 



Messrs. Lambert ^ Strong to Director Public Gardens and Plantations 



Dunster House, Mincing Lane, London, E.G., 



31st March, 1903. 



Dear Sir, 



Mr. J. Ch. Sawer of Brighton has sent us a sample of lemon 

 grass oil which came from you. We think this is a very good speci- 

 men of the article and it ought to find a ready sale here, provided the 

 citral contents are equal to the Travancore oil— this latter is selling at 

 6d. per ounce, but we should expect to get more for the West Indian. 

 We shall be glad to know whether you can forward any, and if so, 

 what quantity annually. 



We are, Dear Sir, 



Yours faithfully, 



Lambert & Strong. 



