— 102 — 



so-called red peppermint. These are set forth in the table below. The 

 red variety has only been cultivated in the South of France comparatively 

 recently. It yields rather more oil (about 0,33%) than does the ordinary 

 peppermint (about 0,25 °/o), but its oil is not of so fine a quality as that 

 of the last-named. Red peppermint will grow on soil where the ordinary 

 variety can barely live. It may even be grown for five years in succession 

 on the same land, while in the case of genuine peppermint it is necessary 

 to interrupt the cultivation every third year 1 ). 



Peppermint Oil, Japanese. We will abstain from correcting the 

 statements relative to the probable yield of the crop which appeared in 

 our last Report, because the news of the production in the various districts 

 which has been received since then is again of such a contradictory 

 character that the later figures would be of no greater value than those 

 which have already been published. The only particular in which the 

 reports agree is the admission that the result of the Hokkaido crop was 

 considerably over-estimated last autumn. A large part of the crop is said 

 to have been destroyed by floods, while another part has suffered to such 

 an extent from the so-called "rust-worm" that it became necessary to cut 

 the peppermint before it reached maturity, as a result of which there has 

 been a serious loss of oil. This much, in any case, is certain, that all 

 attempts to induce the Japanese to moderate their demands for oil and 

 menthol have been fruitless, and remain so at the going to press of the 

 present Report. Within the past few days, as a matter of fact, there has 

 been a further decided increase in the quotations. Seeing that the demand 

 in Europe is remarkably brisk and that several speculators will be compelled 

 shortly to cover their bear-sales, we believe that considerably higher prices 

 will rule within the next few months. A fairly long time still separates 

 us from the new crop, and as it is our experience that the consumption, 

 especially of menthol, has greatly increased of late, we regard it as highly 

 probable that a decided scarcity will make itself felt in the course of 

 the summer. Very much will depend, of course, upon the American 

 peppermint-crop, of which the probable result, however, cannot be esti- 

 mated for the present. 



In the course of fractional distillation of a first runnings of Japanese 

 peppermint oil we obtained a fraction giving b. p. 175 to 181°; di 5 o 0,8436; 

 a D — 84° 27'; n D20 o 1,46773. It consisted chiefly of Z-limonene, which was 

 identified from its tetrabromide, m. p. 103,5 to 104,5°. As the fracticL 

 reacted faintly with sodium, we heated a small quantity with this metal. 

 After distilling off the oil which had not been affected by the reaction and 

 removing the unattacked sodium, we diluted the sodium-compound with 



x ) On French peppermint oil also comp. Reports April 1905, 62; October 1906, 58; 

 October 1907, 74; April 1909, 76; April 1911, 90. 



