— 2 9 — 



superior qualities could be bought at low prices, the prices have rapidly 

 hardened, and have gradually risen to 34 to 35 marks. 



Orange Oil, bitter. The bitter orange -tree has also suffered 

 from the frosts of the winter of last year, and has consequently pro- 

 duced a bad crop. The prices of this fruit also kept very high, and 

 oil of bitter orange could only be manufactured on a limited scale. 



Under these circumstances the prices of the oil set in at a very 

 high level and rapidly advanced to 17 marks, at which figure they 

 have since kept for faultless first-class goods. 



Orange Oil, sweet. The fear expressed in our autumn Report 

 that the new crop would prove to be a poor one, and that the new 

 season's manufacture would only find a very limited working sphere 

 for a remunerative yield, has been confirmed to an almost unexpected 

 extent. 



Whilst the orange -crop generally had been marked out already 

 as a very feeble one by the injurious effect of last winter's frosts, 

 the position of the oil manufacture especially has been extremely 

 difficult. 



In the course of the summer already the oranges at the growers' 

 fetched prices which appeared to put the advantageous use for oil 

 manufacture out of the question, and these prices have as a matter 

 of fact continued in force until the very last, as with the feeble crop 

 equal to not more than half of that of the previous year, the fresh 

 fruit for shipment in boxes as well as for railway traffic in bulk, con- 

 stantly found a ready sale at advancing quotations. As the oil 

 manufacturer could not afford to pay such prices, there naturally 

 followed an unusual drop in the oil manufacture, and in the present 

 season hardly 40 °/ of the previous year's oil has been produced. 



The prices of old oil moved during the autumn between 13,75 

 and 14, — marks; the new oil at once found purchasers at the same 

 prices, and then gradually rose in October and November to 17 marks. 

 Early in December the upward movement weakened, and a slight 

 drop occurred; but already in the middle of that month a fresh 

 demand sprang up, and with it a recurrence of the upward movement, 

 which brought the article at the close of the year to 17,75 marks. 



With a slow but certain advance orange oil has meanwhile arrived 

 at 18,25 marks, and to all appearances a further considerable increase 

 in the value is to be expected before the new harvest. 



The visible stocks can at present amount to at most 5000 kilos, 

 against 12000 kilos at the same time last year; and this small 

 quantity has not only to meet the further demand from abroad, but 

 also to cover the shortage existing at Messina. 



