DISTILLATIDX OF NATIVE ESSENTIAL OILS 

 FPiOM A COMMERCJAL ASPECT. 



By THOS. L. BANCROFT, M.B. 



[Read heforr the Pioijfd Soch-ti/ of (Jwenslrind, AwjWit 16th, 1889] 



I THINK the following informatiou is worth recording, as 

 showing most certainly that the distillation of essential oils in 

 Queensland could not be profitably undertaken. 



I was led to investigate this subject by the encouraging 

 accounts upon native essential oils given in the writings of 

 Baron von Mueller, Messrs. Staiger, Schimmel & Co., and 

 F, M, Bailey, all of whom would encourage the commercial 

 distillation of these oils. It was, of course, aj)parent to anyone 

 that some excellent oils could be prepared from a few native 

 plants, and in quantity from several. This had been proved by 

 Messrs. Gregory, Staiger, and others. The Hon. A. C. Gregory 

 has been enabled, through the Government, to procure quantities 

 of the leaves of many oil-bearing plants, regardless of expense, 

 which in most cases was enormous. The leaves of five plants, 

 the oils of which were highly spoken of — namely. Eucalyptus 

 Staigeriana, E. dealhata, E. Baileijana, E. citnodora, and 

 Baclhonsia citriodom — could not be procured in Brisbane for a 

 sum less than the value of the oil contained. 



For instance, Eucali/jitus Stuii/eriana leaves fi'om Maytowii 

 cost £30 a ton, and those of Eucalyptus Baileyana from 

 Cooper's Plains, £10. 



To pay the manufacturer he would have to make his oils 

 to sell wholesale at Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. per lb. in Brisbane, or at 

 the very outside 2s. 6d. in London. 



