MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS OF THE LEMON. 227 



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.— Every one 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 permission 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 con- 

 trast 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 



