— 119 — 



statements we caused a business-friend to make for us a collection of 

 spike oils from various Departments. In the result we were unable to 

 confirm the assertion that the degree of solubility depends upon the origin 

 of the oil. On the contrary, our experience, as shown in the table printed 

 below, is that generally speaking all the oils are soluble in the same 

 degree, and that deviations occur independently of the locality of pro- 

 duction. From this it may perhaps be inferred that the differences in 

 solubility are actually determined only by the different methods of distil- 

 lation or by the greater or less degree of care bestowed upon the collection 

 of the raw material. 



Origin 



diso 



«D 



a D of the 

 initial 10°/o 



acid 

 v. 



ester 

 v. 



Solubility 

 in 60% alcohol 



Basses-Alpes : 

 La Palud de Moustiers . . 



Beynes prds Mezel 



Les Mees 



0,9040 

 0,9052 

 0,9070 

 0,9071 

 0,9075 



— 2° 12' 

 — 1°47' 

 -f-0°15' 

 -f-0°24' 



— 0°28' 



-f 1°30' 

 -f 1° 4' 

 + 3° 30' 

 -j-4° 0' 

 + 2° 34' 



0,6 



U 



0,4 

 0,8 

 0,8 



10,0 

 9,0 

 7,5 



14,1 

 9,4 



in 6 vols. a. m. 

 in 6 vols. a. m. 



Forcalquier 



in 20 vols, a m 



Reillanne 



in 7 vols. a. m. 



Vaucluse: 

 Pertuis 



0,9073 



+ 0°38' 



+ 3° 54' 



0,8 



9,4 



in 7 vols. a. m. 



Bouches-du-Rh6ne: 

 Jouques 



0,9070 



-f-0°38' 



+ 3°46' 



0,5 



6,9 



in 7,5 vols. a. m. 





Dr6m e: 

 Montsegur 



0,9138 



+ 3° 38' 



-i-5°26' 



0,8 



7,5 



in 14 vols. a. m. 







Star Anise Oil. Since our last Report a change of importance has 

 occurred in the position of the article, the primary cause of which was to 

 be found in large sales of both Chinese and Tonquin oil, as a result of 

 which the prices rapidly advanced by about 10 per cent. Next, the out- 

 break of the Chinese revolution afforded a further reason for giving a firm 

 tendency to the market and, finally, when owing to the unsettlement of 

 the political conditions the supplies from the interior were cut off, the 

 quotations advanced to about 6/-. Some of the shippers in these circum- 

 stances pleaded force majeure, but opinions varied as to the justification 

 iJ this plea. In any case, during the past few weeks the market* has 

 calmed down to this extent that offers are once more available. It is 

 natural that for the present the quotations should still remain very high 

 and it will depend upon the demand whether a further advance will occur. 

 At the present high figures there have not, so far as we know, been any 

 transactions of importance. From the other side the position is described 

 as firm. 



