— 27 



Essential Oils, Sicilian and Calabrian, 



With regard to this important group of essential oils we have received 

 the following original report from the well-known reliable source: — 



The first 8 months of the current year show a considerable increase 

 in the export of essential oils, as compared with the same period of 

 last year, and reach with 612 737 kilos almost the figures of the export 

 of 1902, which was quite exceptionally high. 



The following summary gives the export figures of the individual 

 months, in comparison with the corresponding months of the two 

 preceding years : — 









1904 



1903 



1902 





January . . . 105877 



95975 



132509 kilos 



February 







98897 



97646 



74056 „ 



March 







91 132 



78390 



"3977 



7 



April . 







74955 



67319 



83 453 



} 



May . 







57932 



62452 



77291 



) 



June . 







84286 



36404 



45059 



J 



July • 







52584 



52176 



61 247 



J 



August 







47074 



46340 



52567 



J 



612737 536702 640159 kilos 



The view repeatedly expressed in these Reports, that the world's 

 consumption is constantly increasing, appears to be confirmed by the 

 above figures, in spite of the decrease from 1902 to 1903. 



Thus far the total picture of the essential oil trade. Of the course 

 of the business in the individual kinds of oil, the following lines may 

 give an idea. 



Bergamot Oil. In spite of the surprisingly brisk demand, which 

 prevailed during the first few months of the manufacturing season 

 and which gave rise to the opinion that during the spring large stocks 

 of bergamot oil would accumulate abroad, a strong demand for this 

 oil made itself felt in May /June, and considerable quantities were 

 shipped in the course of these two months. 



As at the same time the weather, which up to then had been 

 favourable for the bergamot-trees and had promoted an abundance 

 of blossoms, exerted a very unfavourable influence in consequence of 

 the extraordinary early heat which was by no means tempered by 

 short showers, and caused enormous masses of tender fruit-germs to 

 fall off the trees, a sharp rise in the prices was bound to follow. At 

 the beginning of May the price stood at 16 marks, but it advanced in 

 the course of the next few months and early in July to 19,75 marks, 

 and in some cases even to 20,50 marks; but when the buyers abroad 

 curtailed their purchases, and the demand diminished considerably, the 



