68 BACON. 



(1907) was late, so that distillation was not begun on any large scale until 

 August (1907) and it then extended into February (1908). 



Large numbers of ylang-ylang trees grow in many of the provinces; 

 in the Camarines, Mindoro, and Albay there are stills, and in Bohol 

 there are many trees, but as yet no stills. The trees are also probably 

 found in quantities in many of the other provinces, where oil is not yet 

 distilled. 



The imjjression is xevj general in Manila that the provincial flowers are 

 inferior and will not make good oil. This opinion is no doubt largely 

 due to the lower quality of provincial oils caused by poor distillation. 

 There is every reason to believe that the flowers are just as good in the 

 provinces as in the region around Manila, especially in those regions 

 where the trees are cultivated and raised on a large scale. Some firms 

 in Manila distill oil in the provinces, and the prices which they obtain 

 are just as high as those derived from their Manila product. Moreover, 

 the provincial distiller has two very decided advantages over his Manila 

 competitors in that the price which he pays for flowers is lower (12 to 

 20 centavos, Philippine ciirrency, per kilo), and in that he can refuse 

 to accept poor flowers, as the competition is not so keen. The next ad- 

 vance for the industry would seem to be the installation of first-class 

 apparatus and the introduction of correct distillation methods in the 

 provinces. 



METHODS OF DISTILLATION. 



Much mystery surrounds the distillation of the oil of ylang-ylang in 

 Manila. The manufacturers are supposed to have valuable trade secrets, 

 so that no one is allowed to visit the distilleries of many of them. How- 

 ever, I have been inside of some of the Manila distilleries where no such 

 restrictions exist and have also distilled the first quality of ylang-ylang 

 oil in this laboratory. I do not wish to violate any confidence imposed 

 in me by the manufacturers who have allowed me to visit their plants 

 and have told me of their methods of distillation, but I do not believe 

 there are any trade secrets; by this I do not mean to imply that any one 

 can distill first quality ylang-ylang oil, but with the proper apparatus 

 an operator who thoroughly imderstands the distillation of essential oils 

 in general will soon find out the special small points in the distillation 

 of ylang-ylang oil. The important j^oints where many err, and this is 

 especially true of the provincial distillers, is in the wrong choice of frac- 

 tions, in burning the flowers and in obtaining too much resin in the oil. 

 The oil must be distilled slowly, with clean steam, the flowers being so 

 placed in the stills as to avoid their being cut into channels by the 

 steam. The quantity of the oil taken is only a fraction of the total 

 amount in the flowers. Disregard of this factor is one of the most 

 grievous errors of tlie provincial distillers, for, on the contrary, they are 

 usually too anxious to obtain a large yield of oil, and therefore they will 



