— 42 — 



new harvest. At the same time, the interested French parties should 

 not aim too high, as lavender oil can be replaced by bergamot oil, 

 whose content of linalyl acetate equals that of a fine quality lavender 

 oil, and as consumers may strike lavender oil out of many compositions 

 owing to its high price. It may safely be assumed that next season 

 the demand will be considerably less, and that the public will object 

 to pay such high prices as last year. 



We also are firmly resolved to act in such manner in the future, 

 and nothing whatever will deter us from doing all we can to bring 

 about again a sensible state of affairs. 



As regards our controversy with the firm of Lautier Fils at 

 Grass e, concerning the ester-content of the lavender oil distilled by 

 us at Barreme, we maintain emphatically our assertion that we have 

 obtained in the course of manufacture large quantities of lavender oils 

 of up to 5 2 °/o natural ester-content. However, we are pleased to acknow- 

 ledge that Mr. Lautier has loyally declared his willingness to give us 

 satisfaction if we convince him of his error. This is to take place 

 in the course of next season by expert evidence. 



With regard to the ester- question, we have discussed this matter 

 in such detail in our Report of October 1897, pages 32 to 36, and 

 have especially done justice to the odour-test, that it would serve no 

 useful purpose to enter once more so fully into this point in dispute. 

 This only we would state here, that the subsequent observations, made 

 from 1897 to the present day, have only confirmed the correctness 

 of the position taken up by us in this question. 



In a book on Pharmacy in Burgundy prior to 1803 by A. Baudot 1 ), 

 which deserves to be widely read, we find inter alia some details on 

 the cultivation of lavender carried on at the Court of Burgundy in 

 the 14 th century, which we desire to quote here briefly on account 

 of their particular interest. 



In the year 137 1 the then Duchess of Burgundy, who was par- 

 ticularly fond of lavender perfume, had a few expensive lavender 

 stalks planted in the garden of the Castle of Rouvres and attempted 

 at the same time the cultivation of lavender by sowing out seed. 

 These efforts were continued . with great perseverance and finally led 

 to the desired result, so that later on it was possible to speak of a 

 flourishing cultivation of lavender in the gardens of Rouvres. Hyssop, 

 sage, violets, roses, and other aromatic plants were grown there with 

 equally good results. Baudot believes that in such experimental 

 gardens the first beginnings of our present-day botanical gardens may 

 possibly be seen. 



*) A. Baudot, Etudes historiques sur la pharmacie en Bourgogne avant 1803, 

 Paris 1905. 



