— 44 — 



us to enter into particulars of the voluminous botanical and pharma- 

 cognostical investigations of Meyer, we will only mention his study here 

 by name. We should like, however, to correct the mistaken view of the 

 author that the higher value of Ceylon cinnamon oil as compared with 

 cassia oil is due to the somewhat high eugenol-content of the former. 

 The logical deduction of this argument would be that because Seychelles 

 cinnamon oil has a relatively high eugenol-content, therefore Seychelles 

 cinnamon must possess a high value as a spice. The reply to this is 

 that not the eugenol-content, but the sum total of all non-aldehydic 

 constituents of a cinnamon oil determines its value, the perfume of 

 these oils being the result of the combined action of the different con- 

 stituents. 



Oil of Cinnamomum mindanaense, see p. 43. 



Citronella Oil. Since our October report the prices of Ceylon ci- 

 tronella oil have slowly but steadily declined, until towards the end of 

 January they reached their lowest level at 10 V 8 d. cif. London; since then 

 they have remained unchanged with a rather lifeless tendency. 



The shipments from Galle during the past year again established a 

 record, the figures being as follows: — 



1747934 lbs. in 1910, 



compared with 1512084 „ „ 1909, 



„ 1276965 „ „ 1908. 



In 1910 therefore there has again been an increase of over 235,000 lbs. 

 Although this fact might sufficiently explain the quiet state of the article, 

 we may nevertheless mention that the exports from 1 st January to 20 th Fe- 

 bruary 1911 only reached 176430 lbs., compared with 359377 lbs. in the 

 same period of 1910. We have therefore to reckon with a decreased ex- 

 port of about 183000 lbs. in the first 6 weeks of 1911, although it may 

 be assumed that this temporary falling off will be made good in the 

 course of the next few months. According to the information in our 

 possession, the decline is apparently due to the fact that the New York 

 market shows a tendency to hold aloof, for the shipments to European 

 ports show no noteworthy differences. 



Java citronella oil has also been offered plentifully, and although the 

 preparation of this highly esteemed quality has for some considerable 

 time been concentrated in the hands of a few producers, whose principal 

 endeavour it is to prevent overproduction at all costs, they have never- 

 theless found it necessary to show more pliability in their demands than 

 has been the case in recent years. We are regularly in receipt of con- 

 siderable supplies of a quality which answers the highest requirements. 



