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profit, hence at about the middle of October the first sales for delivery 

 were made at these figures. 



As soon as the ice was broken and a definite rate of value had been 

 established for the new oil, a large French firm, through its local agent, 

 set about to buy up every parcel of oil for delivery which came into the 

 market, and continued to buy, even at rising prices, until it had secured 

 a supply of about 15000 kilos. 



As a result of this the prices for delivery were rushed up from 41 cM 

 to about 46 oM % and they stood at that height when the first new oil came 

 into the market. As is well-known, the ester-content of bergamot oil de- 

 pends upon the degree of maturity of the fruit. Unripe fruit yields an oil 

 containing between 28 and 32°/ linalyl acetate; riper and wholly-matured 

 fruit produces an oil of which the ester-content may reach a maximum 

 of from 42 to 44%. 



As the standard of value of bergamot oil is its linalyl acetate content, 

 it used, in previous years, to be in the interest of the manufacturer to begin 

 to work up his fruit only when it had reached full maturity. But in the 

 present season the high prices paid for old oil and the strong demand 

 from foreign countries which, for lack of old material, were content to 

 take low-grade new oil, induced the manufacturers to work up their ber- 

 gamot fruit in a less mature state than formerly, especially in view of 

 the fact that when the fruit is comparatively green its percentage of oil 

 is generally greater than afterwards. 



In the past, when the crop was abundant, the consumers were in the 

 habit of preferring high-grade expensive oils to the cheaper low-grade 

 qualities, but this season, owing to the old stocks having been exhausted, 

 there were plenty of buyers who were prepared to accept oils of a lower 

 standard. 



The result was that in the month of December a period of great 

 activity set in in the bergamot oil market, during which the manufacturers 

 were able to dispose readily of their new oil at prices ranging from 43 c4t 

 to 48 c4i. All the signs pointed to a further continuation of regular 

 conditions of sale during the manufacturing-season when, in the first days 

 of January, a natural catastrophe upset all previous calculations and 

 estimates. 



Violent whirlwinds of a typhoon-like character afflicted the Calabrian 

 coasts on January 3 rd and 4 th , and again on January 6 th and 7 th . So great 

 was the force of the storm that almost the whole of the fruit which $ttf 

 remained on the trees was blown down, only a few favoured valleys being 

 saved from the havoc of the elements. In many localities not only was 

 the fruit blown down, but hundreds, if not thousands of trees were uprooted. 



It is a familiar fact that the preparation of bergamot oil is a difficult, 

 irksome task, for which appropriate mechanical appliances are necessary. 

 Now, in the short interval which elapses between the falling of the fruit 



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