— 93 — 



Roure-Bertrand Fils 1 ) report on a distillate prepared from Javanese 

 patchouli leaves. They obtained 0,803°/o of an oil possessing the following 

 properties: di 5 o 0,9564, « D — 28°8', sap. no. 6,3, ester no. after acetyl. 40,4, 

 soluble in 0,25 vol. and more of 90% alcohol. The oil had a somewhat 

 paler colour and a less persistent odour than that from Penang or Singapore 

 leaves. When cooling it turned viscous, but no patchouli-alcohol separated 

 out from it. 



Pennyroyal Oil. The demand has been sluggish, and with impor- 

 tant quantities of Algerian and Spanish pennyroyal oil available, prices 

 have remained unaltered and low. American pennyroyal oil also has 

 remained at its present value. We are informed by our New York branch 

 of the remarkable fact that this season some parcels of the oil show an 

 abnormal optical rotation and are therefore not in accordance with the 

 requirements of the pharmacopoeia. As is well known, the American 

 variety of pennyroyal has not been exported to Europe for many years 

 past, as it is unable to compete with the cheap European oils. 



Peppermint Oil, American. According to the information collect- 

 ed by our New York branch office, the following particulars show the 

 extent of the cultivation of peppermint in the United States: — 



I. Wayne County, New York. 



In our Report of October last we were still able to trace an area of 

 144 1 /2 acres of first year's and 134 acres of second year's cultures, but 

 in the present year the area only amounts to 



26 acres of last year's 

 and 30 „ „ new cultures 

 Total 56 acres. 

 In other words, the peppermint oil industry in this county has ceased to 

 exist. At an average of 17 lbs. oil per acre for the new, and 7 lbs. for 

 the old plants, these 56 acres account for a total yield of only 692 lbs. 

 of peppermint oil, a quantity which, it need hardly be said, is no longer 

 of any account whatever in comparison with the total production in the 

 United States. As soon as the 20000 lbs. of old oil which according to 

 the statements of our informant are still left in the hands of the farmers 

 from last year have been marketed, the peppermint oil industry in Wayne 

 County, formerly such an important one, will probably be a thing of 

 the past. 



The cultures have been abandoned because, at the high prices asked 

 for the oil, it is impossible to compete with the product of Michigan and 

 Indiana. 



x ) Berichte von Roure-Bertrand Fils, April 1910, 64. For Javanese patchouli oil also 

 compare Report November 1908, 95. 



