504 VRVIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Prices do not depend exclusively upon the classification of the fruit ; 

 the locality where it was grown is taken into consideration as well. 

 Lemons grown on clay soil yield more essence and juice than those 

 grown on sandy or rocky soil. 



Dealers sometimes adulterate their essence with fixed oils, alcohol, or 

 turpentine. Adulteration by fixed oils is detected by pouring a few 

 drops of essence on a sheet of paper and heating it. Upon the evapora- 

 tion of the essence a greasy spot will remain. Alcohol is detected by 

 pouring a few drops of the essence into a glass tube in which a small 

 quantity of chloride of lime has been dissolved. The tube is then heated 

 and well shaken, and its contents being allowed to settle the essence 

 will float in the denser liquid. To detect turpentine pour a few drops 

 of essence on writing-paper and a strong smell of turpentine will re- 

 main after the essence has evaporated. The essence of sour orange, 

 mixed with the essence of lemon, produces an aroma similar to that of 

 the essences of bergamot ; the latter is much used by confectioners in 

 flavoring ice-creams, etc. 



Equal parts of lemon essence and spirits of turpentine, well mixed 

 (mixture known as essenza vestrincutale), remove stains from linen and 

 silk fabrics. 



In a bergamot essence establishment at Eeggio, on the main-land, is to 

 be seen in operation a hand machine for extracting essential oil. The 

 skin of the unpeeled bergamot is punctured by a system of revolving 

 knives and then gently pressed. It should be borne in mind that the 

 bergamot is spherical in shape, and this machine could not be used on 

 the lemon on account of its shape. A thermo-pneumatic essence ex- 

 tractor, worked by steam-power, has also been invented, but -the old 

 system is still in general use in Sicily on account of abundant and cheap 

 labor. The method employed for the extraction of essential oil from 

 the lemon (as given above) applies as well to the sweet and sour orange, 

 to the bergamot, and to the mandarin. But a very small quantity of 

 essence of mandarin is made, and but slight attention is ijaid to the 

 extracting of essence from the orange flower. The essence extracted 

 from the flower of the bergamot is called neroU, and is worth $35 per 

 pound. 



Table B shows the total quantity and value of essences exported from 

 Messina for the last eighteen years— 1870 to 1887. 



Table C shows the value of the essences exported from Messina to the 

 United States for the last ten years— 1878 to 1887. 



Table D shows the mean annual price per kilogram at Messiuaof the 

 essence of bergamot, lomon, and orange for tlio years 1870 to 1886. 



RAW AND CONOENTRATED LEMON-JUICE. 



Wlien leinonH have been peeled and cut in two, as above stated, they 

 lire carried to tlie jiress and thrown into liirge wicker bags, circular in 

 form, made olbiilrnslics, and arc jtressed in these l)n,i;s. If the juice 



