PHILIPPINE TBRPBNES AND ESSENTIAL OILS, III. 119 



odor by ite own volatility. The experiments conducted in the laboratory 

 on native grass have not yet thoroughly cleared up all points connected 

 with the cultivation and utilization of the roots for perfumery purposes. 

 The yield of roots from various sources and especially the percentage of 

 oil obtainable from them have been very variable. We have now planted 

 on the laboratory grounds in Manila some experimental plots and hope 

 to discover the best methods of handling this crop, as the grass promises 

 to be quite profitable in the Philippines. The oil is valued at 100 to 200 

 pesos, Philippine currency (50 to 100 dollars. United States currency), 

 per kilo according to quality. The greater part of the distillation at the 

 present time is carried on in Europe from roots shipped principally 

 from India, although some oil is distilled in Reunion. The plant offers 

 possibilities in the Philippines either for the distillation of the oil or for 

 the export of the dried roots. I am not able to discover that there is 

 at present any exportation of the vetiver roots. 

 Out experiments on vetiver are as follows : 



( 1 ) Thirty kilos of fresh vetiver roots were distilled for two working days 



(seven hours each) with steam, the condensed water being continually poured 



back over the roots, and the oil collected in a little petroleum ether to effect 



easier separation from the water, as the vetiver oil has almost the same specific 



gravity as water. The petroleum ether was distilled in vacuo and there were 



thus separated 327 grams of a light yellow oil (1.09 per cent) which had a very 



30° 

 strong, pleasant odor and the following properties: Specific gi-avity, =0.9935; 



A?2!=+32.1;N§2° =1.5212: saponification number=47.4. 

 D J) 



The roots used in the above experiment were obtained from small gardens 

 about Manila and were crushed between the rollers of a sugar mill before being 

 distilled. Such a crushing of the roots seems to improve the yield of oil. 



(2) Thirty-one kilos of fresh roots, uncrushed, on distillation as above gave 

 140 grams oil (0.3 per cent). 



(3) Six kilos of dried roots, uncrushed, gave by extraction with ligroin 14 

 grams of an oil which had only a very slight vetiver odor. 



(4) Eighty-one kilos of dry moras which had been stored in jute sacks for 

 about three months after harvesting, were distilled with steam with continuous 

 cohobation and yielded 370 grams of oil (0.456 per cent) of an intense odor and 



QAO 



bro^vn color. This oil had the following properties: Specific gravity, =0.9964; 



OAO OAO 4 



N2iL=1.5163; A5^=+32.1; saponification number=60.6. 



D D 



It is to be noted that this oil with a higher saponification number has a much 

 stronger odor than that obtained in experiment 1 given above (saponification 

 number=47.4). 



(5) A plot of well-fertilized ground containing 150 square meters was planted 

 with vetiver grass. In six months time the plants had fiowered and reached matur- 

 ity; they were then removed, giving 270 kilos of roots, or at the rate of over 18,000 

 kilos per crop per hectare. However, it was found when these roots were 

 transferred to the laboratory, that they had lost most of their odor, and they 

 gave so small a yield of oil as not to make it worth while to distill them. Some 

 of these plants had been pulled up from time to time and tested for their oil 

 content; they seem to contain the oil up to the time of flowering. 



