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Peppermint Oil, Chinese. A sample of peppermint oil distilled 

 in China, and forwarded to us by the Imperial Institute in London, possessed 

 the following constants: d 15 o 0,9187, « D — 44° 2 f , ester no. 43,9 = 12,6% 

 esterified menthol; ester no. after acetylation 196,0 = 64% total menthol. 

 The oil was soluble in 2,5 vol. and more of 70% alcohol. 



Peppermint Oil, English. According to reports from our London 

 Branch Office, the results of the crop in Surrey and Lincolnshire have 

 not been altogether satisfactory, because the dry weather of the spring 

 has been unfavourable to the young plants and in many places the leaves 

 consequently showed insufficient development. Notwithstanding this the 

 principal producers have been compelled, whether they liked it or not, 

 to reduce their pretensions in order to avoid exposing themselves to the 

 danger of being left to nurse the greater part of their stocks. The reduction 

 in prices is therefore due to the untenable conditions of competition in 

 the article rather than to the favourable result of the crop. The improvement 

 in the quality of American peppermint oil of recent years, to which we 

 have more than once called attention, naturally counts for something in this 

 matter. The quantity distilled during the present year is said not to be 

 in excess of that of 1909, but the prices have receded from 32/- per lb. 

 to about 27/- per lb. for pure crude oil. During the last few months the 

 market has suffered from complete neglect. 



Peppermint Oil, Japanese. The estimates of the peppermint oil 

 production in Japan during the current year vary greatly, as they always 

 do. A comparison of the statements received from various quarters gives 

 approximately the following average quantities for the two principal 

 peppermint districts: 



Bingo Bichiu . . . about 50,000 kin 

 Hokkaido .... „ 160,000 „ 

 Total 210,000 kin 



All the reports agree in stating that Yamagata scarcely counts now 

 as a producing district, as it is no longer able to compete with the 

 Hokkaido. On the subject of the stocks of oil carried over from last year, 

 opinions differ too greatly to permit us to quote a figure which could lay 

 any reasonable claim to exactness. Our readers will understand how 

 difficult it is to give a report of this article, when we mention that London 

 reports estimate the total yield at 315,000 lbs. But this much at any 

 rate appears to be certain, that a very favourable result may be counted 

 upon, and that the firm tendency which has manifested itself in the 

 peppermint and menthol markets during the past two months is attributable 

 to other causes than to poor crop prospects. 



We cannot bring ourselves to believe in the probability of a serious 

 upward movement in the prices of menthol and peppermint oil, and we 

 should not be surprised if about November or December, at the time 



