— 71 — 



in consonance with the true market value, we were obtaining 44 c/fi per kilo 

 for menthol of our own manufacture. The article was to be had practi- 

 cally at any price, but the demand left greatly to be desired, as the con- 

 sumers had been taken aback by the differences in the selling prices. 

 It was not until the beginning of June that the position commenced to 

 clear up, for at that time the first reports of the present year's crop in 

 Japan had come to hand, and although these reports differ considerably, 

 they agree in forcecasting a normal crop in Bingo. It is true that at the 

 time no reliable information had yet been received with regard to the 

 crop in Hokkaido, which is well-known to be the principal producing 

 centre, but in the absence of business even the approach of the new crop 

 was sufficient to weaken the market. Only at the end of August was it 

 possible to survey to some extent the probable results, and the surmise 

 that the crop would be a normal one was then confirmed. In the middle 

 of September our informant estimated the total crop at from 226,000 to 

 228,000 Kin, of .which from 61,000 to 63,000 Kin, would be produced at 

 Bingu Bichiu, and the rest in Hokkaido and Yamagata. The entire crop 

 has suffered greatly this year, more particularly in Hokkaido, from unfa- 

 vourable climatic conditions, the damage having mainly been caused by 

 the extensive inundations. In Eastern Hokkaido rust fungus (Uredo) has 

 made its appearance , with the result that it became necessary, in that 

 locality, to cut the peppermint from 15 to 20 days earlier than usual, in 

 order to obviate the total dying-off of the plants. Hence the estimated 

 yield of 160,000 Kin is hardly likely to be reached. The present tendency 

 of Japanese peppermint oils is very firm indeed. The upward movement 

 in the prices of American oil, as was to be expected, has brought with 

 it a fair enquiry, and within the past few weeks several large transactions 

 for later shipment from Japan have taken place at increased prices. 



The price of menthol also appears to have passed its lowest point, 

 for according to the latest telegraphic reports from Japan, the market is 

 beginning to become somewhat firmer. 



In our last Report we described the interesting experiments made 

 by Thorns 1 ) in growing Japanese peppermint at Dahlem near Berlin. 



During the present summer Thorns 2 ) has again distilled peppermint 

 oil from the Japanese plant; the yield (0,893 °/o calc. for the dry herb) being 

 slightly less than in 1910 3 ). Cuttings of the Japanese peppermint plants 

 have also been supplied to South Germany, German East Africa, and 

 German S. W. Africa. The last-named cuttings in particular have succeeded 



*) Report April 1911, 92. 



2 ) Apotheker Ztg. 26 (1911), 686. 



v ') This does not agree with the statement in the previous communication [Berichte d. 

 deutsch. pharm. Ges. 20 (1910), 424] according to which the 1910 yield was 0,535°/o (calc. for 

 dried herb). 



