— 5 o — 



According to a communication by P. Serre 1 ) on the patchouli 

 industry in Java and the Straits, the patchouli plants cultivated there 

 also originate from Pogostemon patchouli; when fully developed they 

 reach a height of 2 to 3 feet. The harvest of the leaves (which are 

 sent to Europe in a well- dried state) commences as soon as the 

 plants are 6" high; every six months the leaves are stripped again. 

 The Malays put patchouli leaves in their mattresses and clothes to 

 keep away insects. The yield of oil produced in the factories of 

 those countries amounts to only a few per cent., owing to defective 

 distilling apparatus; the yellow-green to dark-brown oil is very thick, 

 and separates off crystals of patchouli alcohol. With the plants im- 

 ported in Java, good results have been obtained up to an elevation 

 of 1600 feet, but in Serre's opinion the oil obtained is of a lower 

 quality than that produced in the Malacca Peninsula. 



Peppermint Oil, American. The reports received from the 

 principal districts of the peppermint oil production all agree, that the 

 damage done to the fields by the winter-frosts turns out to be severe. 

 The total absence of snow has allowed the frost to act direct on the 

 plants, and to destroy a number of them, especially in Michigan. For 

 this reason a certain falling off in the production must be expected 

 next autumn, but against a too pessimistic interpretation of such com- 

 munications should be warned, for experience shows that interested 

 parties are apt to exaggerate, and in the course of the summer the 

 traces of such damage very often dwindle down. But what should 

 be specially taken into consideration, is that the quantity planted out 

 has been considerably increased during the last two years, since the 

 good prices obtained had again made the cultivation and distillation 

 of peppermint a very remunerative occupation. 



The present opportunity has naturally been taken advantage of 

 in America to drive up the market-prices of crude oil, and the 

 European markets have also followed the lead from the other side. 

 The increase in the price from the beginning of January to the 

 present moment amounts to fully 2O°/ . Normal crude oil cannot 

 be purchased to-day below 3,25 dollars. 



Our New York branch, whose purchases come to about 30000 lbs. 

 per annum, called our attention to the superior quality of the 1905 

 oil already on shipping the first parcels of the distillate of that year, 

 and we have found this fully confirmed. In Japan it is hoped that 

 America, in consequence of the present state of affairs, will appear 

 as a heavy buyer of Japanese oil. There is nothing in this, if the 

 latter is not used for mixing with the American oil, such as was the 

 case some 3 or 4 years ago, at the time of the $ 5, — price. In 



*) Journ. d'agriculture tropicale 5 (1905), 369. 



