— 95 — 



4) was heavier than water and constituted a yellow, somewhat viscous liquid 

 possessing the following properties: d 20 o 1,03984, d 32 o 1,02536, a D + 15°12 r , 

 « D of the acetylated oil + 17°20', acid v. 45,5, ester v. 245,7, ester v. after 

 acetylation 314,5. It was soluble in 2 vols. 70% alcohol; when more 

 alcohol was added the mixture turned cloudy. A solid body with an odour 

 of menthol was isolated from the oil; the saponification-liquor, after being 

 acidulated, yielded an oil possessing an odour of caprylic and of valeric acid 

 at the same time. Only a portion of the oil was absorbed with bisulphite. 



Neroli Oil. It is many years since the winter-rainfall on the Medi- 

 terranean coast of France has been so heavy as that of last season, and 

 the trees have therefore been flourishing. As a result of the wet weather, 

 however, some of them have already flowered prematurely during the early 

 months of the year, and these will show a proportionate deficiency during 

 the flowering-time proper in the month of May, but taking it all-in-all the 

 prospects are highly favourable, and unless night-frosts should supervene 

 a good medium-crop may be expected with certainty. There can be no 

 doubt, however, that the yield will not approach that of last season, which 

 was well above the average. At the moment the buds look very healthy 

 and it may be expected that, barring unforeseen circumstances, the gathering 

 will this season commence about 15 th April, that is to say about a fort- 

 night sooner than usual. It is thought that the flower-prices will not rule 

 high: at present the talk is of 65 to 70 centimes, for both of neroli oil and 

 of orange flower water there is some stock left over from the year 1911. 

 Naturally, however, the Societe cooperative de production des proprietaires 

 d'orangers des Alpes-Maritimes will energetically defend the interests of 

 its members, and will distil all the flowers which it is unable to place 

 with the manufacturers at remunerative prices. For the present it is of 

 course impossible to say much concerning the probable course of the 

 neroli oil prices, which have remained unchanged, with slight fluctuations, 

 throughout the past winter. In the year 1911 the Societe cooperative 

 harvested 1800000 kilos flowers, or about 500000 kilos more than usual. 

 Of this output, the Society was compelled to distil about 550000 kilos, 

 because there was no market for this surplus, but the Society was able 

 to dispose of the bulk of the oil thus obtained at prices ranging from 

 475 to 500 francs per kilo. Just at present there is more pressure to sell, 

 and from several quarters there have been forecasts of a price of about 

 |)0 francs for oil of the new crop. The flower-production of the Societe 

 cooperative is estimated at rather more than two-thirds of the total flower- 

 crop in the Department of the Maritime Alps; hence it would seem that 

 the total yield of the orange flower crop of the year 1911 has been about 

 2600000 kilos. 



The sale of our artificial neroli oil "Schimmel § Co." last year attained 

 a magnitude previously unthought-of, and as there is now a large number 



