27 



The stocks on the principal markets on I st September were: — 

 Holland London New York Total 



I90O 

 1 90 1 

 1902 



I9°3 

 1904 



I905 

 1906 



77000 



6450O 



54500 



33 500 



5 200 



92OO 



5900 



21 50O 

 163OO 

 160OO 

 T74OO 

 I9OOO 

 260OO 

 25OOO 



I47OO 

 I39OO 

 I0 800 

 80OO 

 4OOO 

 7000 

 2 000 



1 13 200 bales 



94700 „ 



81300 „ 



58900 „ 



28200 „ 



42200 „ 



32900 „ 



The last six harvests gave the following results: 

 1 900/ 1 . . . 65000 bales 

 1901/2 . . . 90000 



1902/3 . . . 105000 

 1903/4 ... 35000 



1904/5 . . . 185000 

 1905/6 . . . 65000 



Reports on the 1906/7 harvest differ, but on the whole are not 

 favourable, and we are inclined to believe that for the next 1 2 months, 

 i. e. up to the time when the result of the season of 1907/8 becomes 

 available, the prices will rule high. The estimates vary between 

 30000 and 120000 bales, and the mean of 75000 bales may pro- 

 bably be nearest the truth. The tone at Amsterdam and London is 

 very pessimistic, though at Hamburg the situation is considered better. 

 The small stocks on I st September, 1906, quoted above, give, however, 

 food for thought. Now, as before, the attitude of the speculators 

 will probably be decisive. 



Clove -stems could only be obtained with difficulty in the last 

 few months, and for this material also higher prices had to be paid. 

 Lately the sellers have partly retired entirely from the market. 



In what unheard-of manner adulteration still frequently takes place, 

 is shown by the following examination of a clove oil which was sent 

 to us from Bohemia for an expression of opinion. The suspicion of 

 the purchaser aroused by the abnormally low price of the oil was 

 completely justified; the only thing to admire is the daring with 

 which a merchant ventures to place such a coarsely adulterated oil 

 on the market. The oil behaved as follows: di 5 o 0,9686; « D — 5i°i4'; 

 about 32°/ eugenol; not soluble in 10 vol. 90 per cent, alcohol; 

 miscible with 95 per cent, alcohol. The non-phenols consisted, 

 according to a more detailed examination, chiefly of gurjun balsam 

 oil, and showed the following constants: diso 0,9234; « D — 79°52'; 

 soluble in 7 and more vol. 95 per cent, alcohol. According to these 

 results, the clove oil had been mixed with about 60 °/ gurjun 

 balsam oil. 



