— 44 — 



have already been approved many a long day since, and the first 

 consignments may possibly make their appearance very soon. Since 

 in the oil of Backhousia citriodora a new and very rich source of 

 citral has also been discovered, which it may soon be possible to 

 make use of in practice, the time for the exaggerated prices of lemon- 

 grass oil appears to be now past, and producers will do well to meet 

 the trade with concessions. 



A lemongrass oil originating from Ceylon examined by Sage 1 ) 

 which had been distilled at the Government Experimental Station at 

 Peradeniya, had the following properties: — ^5^00.899, «p — 0,2 °, 

 citral- content 66,5 °/o- ^ n alcohol the oil dissolves badly; it only 

 forms a clear solution with 1 vol. absolute alcohol, which, however, 

 becomes cloudy when more solvent is added. 



The oil shares this deficient solubility with the West Indian and 

 African distillates which have frequently been referred to in these 

 Reports 2 ). Both on account of the inferior solubility, and of the low 

 citral-content, the oil must be characterised, in spite of the opposite 

 view held by Mr. Sage, as an inferior product which cannot compete 

 with a good East Indian commercial oil. 



Linaloe Oil. The business which at one time was very much 

 split up, has gradually passed into the hands of a few Mexican firms, 

 who no doubt make a handsome profit out of it, for in the year 

 1895 we still distilled here a few thousand kilos of oil from imported 

 wood at a cost -price which quite enabled us to compete. In the 

 meantime the cheap sources of wood near the coast have become 

 exhausted, and it was practically impossible to fetch the wood from 

 a greater distance, owing to the heavy cost of transport. 



The value of good oil has remained practically unchanged during 

 the last six months. 



The Cayenne distillate has a finer odour than the Mexican, and 

 is preferred for certain products. 



Mustard Oil. The prices of Indian mustard -seed have come 

 out cheaper, so that we have again been able to undertake the regular 

 working up of this kind of seed. Mustard oil remains an article of 

 confidence in the fullest sense of the word. Our present selling price 

 just covers the expenses. If a competition arises which offers pure 

 oil from seed at still lower prices, and also supplies it pure, we shall 

 have to give in! 



x ) Chemist and Druggist 68 (1906), 355. 



2 ) Comp. Reports October 1902, 50; April 1903, 23, 49; October 1903, 46; 

 October 1904, 53; April 1905, 85. 



