MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS OF THE LEMON. 223 



carbonate of lime has ceased, when the deposit of citrate will 

 be approximately complete; the remaining residue of acid citrate 

 is reduced with lime milk. The liquid is now drawn off, and 

 the solid, insoluble citrate is compressed and dried." 



Oil of Lemon. Everyone is familiar with "essence of lemon," 

 but comparatively few know that the "essence" is really spirits 

 of wine, in which is dissolved a greater or less proportion of 

 oil of lemon, obtained from the rind of lemons. If a fresh 

 lemon be examined, it will be found that the skin contains 

 vast numbers of oil cells, and when the rind is cut off and 

 bent the oil is seen to fly off in minute drops. The separation 

 and collection of this oil is one of the important industries of 

 Sicily. 



Practically the work is done entirely by hand, and is carried 

 on at night-time because, I believe, the oil is so delicate that 

 a very brief exposure to sunlight causes it to oxidize, and so 

 lose its delicate aroma. 



Fruit intended for the manufacture of oil of lemon need 

 not be of the first quality; but it is necessary that it be 

 outwardly and inwardly sound, healthy, and fresh, so that 

 punctured fruit, windfalls, and defective fruit are used for 

 manufacturing lemon juice, and not for oil of lemon. The 

 lemons are so sliced that the rind is to a large extent freed 

 from the pulp, and is in fairly large but not unwieldy pieces. 

 I do not know whether my experience is in any way unusual, 

 but I found very great difficulty in obtaining admission to an 

 oil of lemon factory. Time after time I tried and failed; but 

 at last I was able to make a bargain with a Sicilian merchant, 

 who desired to open up trade, to give him the information and 

 introduction he desired on condition that he obtained permis- 

 sion to visit, and acted as my guide to, one or two oil of lemon 

 factories. It may be that I did not see the best, for they were 

 not the cleanest places I have seen; and, indeed, were in marked 

 contrast to some of the lemon-packing stores. The very strong 

 smell of ammonia indicated a sanitary condition not desirable. 



I found that the sliced rind was first soaked for perhaps 

 twenty minutes in cold water, it being considered that this 

 renders the expression of the oil more easy. The workmen 

 sit in rows, each with a small glazed earthenware dish on his 

 knees and a larger vessel of lemon rind at his side. In his 



