— 77 — 



Mr. Werner Reinhart, of the firm of Volkart Bros., of Winterthur 

 (Switzerland), has had the courtesy to supply us with full details of the 

 lemongrass oil industry in the southern part of British India. These par- 

 ticulars (for which we here return our sincere thanks to the writer) will 

 no doubt prove of general interest. The value of Mr. Reinhart's descrip- 

 tion is further enhanced by two photographs taken by himself, which are 

 reproduced respectively in the frontispiece, and on page 78. The second 

 of these illustrations shows the river Periyar, near Alwaye, in Travancore, 

 in the neighbourhood of which a great deal of lemongrass is distilled; 

 the other represents a lemongrass oil distillery in the neighbourhood of 

 Alwaye. Mr. Reinhard informs us that lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus 

 Stapf) 1 ) occurs both in the wild state and as a cultivated plant on the 

 western littoral of Southern India from Cape Comorin northwards up to 

 Malabar. As the grass requires a good deal of moisture, but does not 

 flourish in places where the rain-water cannot percolate the soil, the 

 cultures are mostly found on the lower spurs of the Ghats. The districts 

 which are of the greatest importance for the distillation of oil are the 

 back country of Anjengo, the hilly borders of the Periyar river in Travan- 

 core, and the plantation districts of Peermade in Travancore and Nellam- 

 patty in the State of Cochin. Lemongrass oil is also distilled on the 

 eastern side of the Ghats and in the Pani hills. At the time when the 

 prices of lemongrass oil ruled high the production was increased in a 

 senseless manner, but recently, owing to the reaction in prices following 

 the over-production, it has been considerably reduced, the principal 

 undertakings where distilling has been abandoned being the large plantations, 

 which worked with expensive plant and dear labour. In some few dis- 

 tricts, as for instance in Wynaad, the low aldehyde-content of the oils 

 produced has also had a discouraging effect upon the production. But 

 the native peasants are apparently able to make distilling pay even at as 

 low a price as 2 d. per oz. 



The distillation of the oil begins shortly after the commencement of 

 the rainy season, that is to say about the beginning of July, and conti- 

 nues according to the course of the Monsoon which follows the South- 

 west Monsoon, until early in January. But as on the west coast the 

 North -East Monsoon is usually very scanty and often remains altogether 

 absent, it is generally necessary to stop distilling early in January, owing 

 to the drought which then sets in. The cultivations, that is to say, the dried 

 grass, are then burnt down, as the ash makes a good manure. In the 

 valleys, i. e. in places where artificial irrigation is possible, lemongrass must 

 give way as early as December to the cultivation of winter crops, chiefly rice. 



Mr. Reinhart furnishes the following description of a native distilling 

 plant on the Periyar river in the district of Travancore (see frontispiece): — 



x ) Comp. Report April 1907, 33. 



