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The plant, which usually remains located in the same place through- 

 out the year, is invariably covered by a straw roof resting on bamboo 

 poles; a copper still about 6 ft. high and 3 ft. in diameter is erected upon 

 a hearth built of stones about 1 ft. high. There are no special arrange- 

 ments for carrying off the smoke, the air having access to the fire from 

 all sides; the stones composing the hearth are placed upon one another 

 loosely in the form of a circle. About midway at the side of the 

 still is an opening which can be closed by a cover, and through which 

 the grass is charged into the still and taken out after distilling. The top 

 of the still is surmounted by a removable helm, from which a copper 

 rising tube leads to the condensing worm which is placed in a wooden 

 vat about 6 ft. high. Water from a well is led into the condensing 

 vessel through a wooden gutter. The receiver is a vessel constructed on 

 the principle of the Florentine flask, with this difference, that it consti- 

 tutes a shallow but very wide cylinder without cover, as shown in the 



accompanying sketch. The width of the 

 receiver supplies a large surface, on which 

 the oil accumulates, and from which it is 

 occasionally removed with a spoon. The water 

 which distils over at the same time flows 

 away through a tube which points upwards, 

 projecting close to the ground at an acute 

 angle. This aromatic water is not, as is usually the case, used for 

 distilling fresh quantities of grass, but is simply allowed to run to 

 waste. For distilling purposes the freshly-collected grass tops, tied in 

 small bundles, are fed into the still through the opening at the side as 

 well as from above, until the still is about three-fourths full. About 

 1,000 bundles of an aggregate weight of about 700 lbs. go to a charge; 

 water being added to about V 4 th of the height, or about 40 gallons alto- 

 gether. The opening at the side is then closed, the helm placed in 

 position, and all the apertures carefully luted with cow-dung, after which 

 the fire is lighted under the still. From 5 to 6 hours are required to 

 distil one charge, which produces a yield of 1 to l 1 / 2 bottles of 22 ozs. 

 each. The oil is allowed to remain in the bottles for some time, in order 

 that any water which has been removed with it may separate out, and 

 also to allow impurities, such as copper salts, to be precipitated. It is 

 run into galvanised drums at the port of shipment. 



Limette Oil. The supplies of finest hand-pressed West Indian oil 

 have been sufficient for the demand, and the price has therefore remained 

 unchanged. Our stocks are obtained from an excellent source, and we 

 shall be glad if those interested in the article will ask us for comparative 

 samples whenever they should receive offers at lower prices from other 

 quarters. 



