— 59 — 



placed in a cylindrical container of tinned copper or galvanised iron, per- 

 forated on all sides, and allowing a space of about one inch between the 

 sides of the container and those of the still in which it is inserted, and 

 of from 1 to 2 inches between the bottom of the container and the still. 

 According to Lamothe, the same result might be achieved by so con- 

 structing the oven that the still is not exposed to the direct action of the 

 flames, but only to that of the gases generated by the fire. For further 

 particulars we refer to the original, but we desire to point out that in 

 his proposals for improving the distilling-method, Lamothe has left the 

 chief point out of account, or at any rate has laid insufficient stress upon 

 it. This is that in the distilling-process the lavender flowers should not 

 be directly immersed in boiling water, but should only be allowed to come 

 into contact with the steam. This is most easily accomplished by inserting 

 a perforated plate or bottom above the water in the still, and placing the 

 flowers upon it. Obviously, it is also possible to suspend the container 

 recommended by Lamothe in the still in a suitable manner. This method 

 of distillation, to which C. von Rechenberg has applied the name of "Water- 

 and-Steam Distillation" 1 ) is the most suitable for itinerant stills and, especi- 

 ally in the case of lavender oil, is much more profitable than the ordinary 

 water-distillation. The experience gained by us at Barreme and Sault in 

 the distillation of lavender flowers has been related in detail in a previous 

 Report 2 ). 



The colour of lavender oil is yellowish, Lamothe's assertion that oil 

 of good quality is almost colourless only holds good in exceptional cases. 



Lemongrass Oil. In one of our earlier Reports 3 ) we described several 

 lemongrass oils produced in the Jalpaiguri District of Northern India. 

 Mr. J. H. Burkill of Calcutta, who sent us the samples of the oils in question 

 at the time, has now briefly informed us in writing that this particular 

 species of grass has been identified since then as Cymbopogon pendulus, 

 Stapf. This information is of particular interest because up to the present 

 only two grasses have been known to produce lemongrass oil 4 ), namely 

 C.flexuosus, Stapf, which yields the Malabar oil, and C.citratus, Stapf, 

 the parent-plant of the sparingly-soluble, so-called West Indian lemongrass 

 oil. The oil from C. coloratus, Stapf, which is also one of the lemon 

 grasses, has only lately become known, and is said to possess characteristics 

 resembling those of a mixture of lemongrass and Java citronella oils 5 ). 



Limette Oil. Another considerable parcel of hand-pressed West Indian 

 oil has recently arrived for our account, and we have thus been able to 



a ) C. v. Rechenberg, Theorie der Gewinnung und Trennung der atherischen Ole (lurch 

 Destination. Miltitz nr. Leipzig, 1910. p. 293. 



2 ) Report April 1907, 63. 



3 ) Report April 1910, 73. 

 *) Report April 1907, 33. 

 ■') Report April 1911, 58. 



