— 84 — 



A fraction boiling between 70 and 78° (15 mm.) yielded an oxime, 

 m. p. 106° (126 to 127° at 17 mm.) from which Masson obtained a ketone 

 possessing the following properties: b. p. 178 to 179° (66 to 67° at 10mm.), 

 d o 0,922, «i0°, n D23 o 1,4494. This ketone did not react with bisulphite; 

 it yielded a monobromide with m. p. 41° and a semicarbazone with 

 m. p. 220 to 221°. With sodium and moist ether it was capable of being 

 reduced to the corresponding secondary alcohol, which forms large crystals, 

 m. p. 51° (b. p. 87° at 28 mm.). With cold 3°/o potassium permanganate 

 solution the ketone was oxidised into geronic acid (b. p. 190 to 191° at 

 31 mm.; m. p. of the semicarbazone 164°), the latter, when oxidised with 

 sodium hypobromite, giving rise to bromoform and «,«-dimethyladipic acid. 

 This process of resolution has therefore shown the ketone C 9 Hi 6 to be 

 trimethyl-l,5,5-hexanone-6, a body which has not been described up to 

 the present. 



CH 3 • CO • CH 2 • CH 2 • CH 2 • C(CH 3 ) 2 ■ C0 2 H 



Geronic acid. 





CH 



3 



H 2 C 



CH 



[ 



CO 



H 2 C 



CH 



C(CH 3 ) 2 



2 



Trimethy 



-1,5, 



5-hexanone-6. 



Laurel Oil. This article is suffering from decided over-production, 

 and we desire earnestly to impress upon the producers the need of a 

 reasonable moderation of output, for there is simply no outlet for such 

 quantities as have recently been offered from Palestine and the Greek 

 islands. The unwholesome position of the market has been correspond- 

 ingly reflected in the downward course of prices. 



Lavender Oil. We regret to report that our fears have been realized, 

 for in October and November the French dealers began to enter the market 

 as buyers with such vigour that within a brief space of time the prices 

 were driven up to 42 francs for oils of high quality. Fortunately, by that 

 time we had already secured the greater part of our requirements (which 

 always exceed the capacity of production of our Barreme works), and we 

 may therefore leave to others whatever claims to distinction there may^ 

 be in having driven up values without any particular reason. The prin- 

 cipal stocks in producers' hands quickly found buyers at the prices in- 

 dicated, and what supplies now remain in the first hand are either un- 

 important or of inferior quality. It is true, however, that the demand 

 soon began to droop once more and that for the past three months prac- 

 tically no sales have been effected. In any case there are at present no 



