66 BACON. 



It is thus evident tliat tlie industry is rapidly increasing in mag- 

 nitude, as perfumers are now using this fine oil in an increasing number 

 of products. As the industry is peculiarly one belonging to the Philip- 

 pines, this laboratory has undertaken studies on the oil and the best 

 means of its distillation, with the view of imj^roving the methods of 

 nianufacture and of the quality of the oil. The results thus far ob- 

 tained are recorded in this paper. 



gejSTEEAl trade conditions. 



The general trade conditions in the ylang-ylang oil industry are not 

 particularly promising for a person with limited capital who desires to 

 engage in this business. Necessarily, the price of the oil de^Dends upon 

 its quality, but the establishment of a brand is of very great importance. 

 Oils of long established brand command a higher price than unbranded 

 ones, or than oils of newer brands, although the latter may be fully as 

 good in every respect. Many European houses buy only through Manila 

 firms with whom they have contracts and will not purchase oil from 

 others, no matter what the quality may be. Nevertheless, there is a 

 large open market, especially with French houses, for first-class oils, 

 and oils of the very best quality can always be sold. The price naturally 

 varies according to the supply and demand, but the very best oils may 

 be counted uj^on to bring about 300 pesos, Philippine currency, per 

 kilo - and those of established brands bring even higher prices. The 

 conditions in regard to second-grade oils are not by any means as 

 favorable. ■■* The demand for these oils is small, probably because of 

 competition with cananga oil and with artificial ylang-ylang oil. Most 

 of the Manila distillers manufacture both first and second grade oils 

 and because of their trade connections they are usually able to dispose 

 of stocks of the latter. The distillers in the provinces who, because of 

 ignorance of the best methods of distillation and of poor apparatvis, 

 usually manufacture only second-grade oils, often find great difficulty 

 in selling their product. These provincial distillers are generally 

 anxious to realize quickly on their stocks, which they sell to the Manila 

 firms for the best price offered. The price paid in Manila for such pro- 

 vincial oils is about 30 to 70 pesos, Philippine currency, per Idlo. There 

 is often so little demand for second quality oils that they can not be sold 

 in Manila for any price, and the European market for this grade is 

 frequently so inactive that distillers mav^ have such oils on their hands 

 for as long a period as two years before disposing of them. 



- One peso, Philippine currency, is equal to one-half a dollar. United States 

 currency. 



" Interesting in connection with the present prices of ylang-ylang oil is Gals 

 article on this substance {Compt. rend. acad. d. Sc. Par. (1873), 76, 1482, in which 

 it is stated that the price of the oil at that time was 2,500 francs the kilo. He 

 calls the oil essence of alan-gilan or hilan-hilan from XJnona odoratissima, a 

 synonym of Canangitim odoratum. 



