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a complete stagnation in the world's trade, whether resulting from war or 

 other causes, can bring about a considerable decline of the lemon oil 

 prices in the coming summer. But so far as can be foreseen there is 

 no prospect of any serious depression in the world's trade. For these 

 reasons there seems to be very little chance of any important decline in 

 the prices just yet, while a continuation of the present level of quotations 

 and the possibility of higher rates appear to be more likely to be realized. 



With regard to the prospects of the next crop it is impossible at the 

 present time even to hazard a prognostication. Throughout Southern Italy 

 the winter has been exceptionally mild; the rainfall has been slight, and 

 there has scarcely been any snow lying in the mountains. Owing to the 

 mildness of the weather all trees of the Citrus species, with the exception 

 of the bergamot trees, have developed an abundant foliage, by which the 

 favourable development of the blossoms is made possible, but the scar- 

 city of rain and snow and the dryness of the subsoil which is even now 

 noticeable, are disturbing factors which neutralise the hopes mentioned 

 above. The real conditions will only become clear as the spring advances 

 and confirms either the hopes or the fears for the coming crops. 



Special reference should be made to the appearance of the so-called 

 blood-lice of the shield-lice species, a pest which within the last two years 

 has visited extensive districts, especially in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 the larger towns of Sicily and Calabria, attacking all the trees of the Citrus 

 species and gradually killing them. Mandarin-, bergamot- and lemon-trees 

 appear to be specially liable to the attacks of this pest; the sweet- and bitter- 

 orange trees seem to be better able to resist it. Systematic experiments 

 conducted by the State Schools of Agriculture appear to have resulted 

 in the discovery of suitable antidotes. Unfortunately the remedies which 

 have so far been suggested, all of which consist in the repeated spraying 

 of the whole tree with some insect-killing liquid, are not only difficult 

 of application but considerably increase the cost of cultivation without 

 guaranteeing a cure. This new disease of the Citrus trees certainly con- 

 stitutes a serious danger to our horticulture and to the essential oil industry 

 of Sicily and Calabria. It is to be hoped that Science will soon discover 

 means of conquering and destroying this new pest. 



Mandarin Oil. This year's mandarin crop has been of fair average 

 quantity. Nevertheless, from the commencement of the season, the prices 

 of mandarin oil have been higher than might have been expected and 

 ■have maintained a steady level almost without fluctuations. The reason 

 of this is the entire absence of old stock, both here and abroad, which 

 enabled the new oil to find a favourable market at the outset, a condition 

 which is still maintained. 



Orange Oil, Bitter. In September 1911 the price of last year's bitter 

 orange oil stood at 16 e^, and as the new crop, in common with that of 



