— 5i — 



correspondents their total quantity may possibly come to 200 or 250 tons; in 

 such case the total crop would work out at 500 to 600 tons regular and 

 200 to 250 tons old roots, i. e. 700 to 850 tons in all. With a result of 

 850 tons, there would be available for the season September 1906/ August 1907, 

 including the above-mentioned balance of 290 tons left over from last season, 

 a total of 1 140 tons altogether. This would be a good supply as compared 

 with the average annual export, but on the other hand, if everything is now 

 cleared, the 1907 harvest will be all the smaller owing to the reduced quantities 

 planted out during the last few years. 



The movement of the prices during the past 12 months was approximately 

 as follows : — 



1905 September/October 36/38 marks 



November/December 38/43 ,, 



1906 January/February 43/47 n 



March/ April 47/54 » 



May/June 54/62 „ 



July 62/70 „ 



August 64/67 „ 



The highest price of 70 marks was only paid in one or two cases at the 

 end of July. 



The quality of the new crop leaves something to be desired, the same 

 as in the last few years. 



Since a reaction has taken place after the highest point was reached in 

 July, because the buyers abroad disregarded the higher quotations, the article 

 can at present be valued nominally at about 62/64 marks cif. Hamburg for 

 assorted roots, and 55/57 marks for seconds. Fluctuations in the price will 

 of course frequently occur at the present time, during the harvest, according 

 as offers to sell, or the inclination to buy preponderates. Up to the present 

 no transactions of any importance have taken place in the new roots, as so 

 far only small orders for export have been received. People are clearly 

 waiting how the situation shapes itself, but a big drop in the prices seems 

 from the above data to be out of the question. 



With regard to the Veronese roots, which of course mature at a later 

 period, our informants report that the crop, according to all calculations, will 

 again be very small, as the cultivation of orris-root has been discarded for 

 other more remunerative cultures, among which principally sugar-beet. 



Pastinaca Oil. We have this year distilled pastinaca oil, and 

 that for the first time from cultivated plants {Pastinaca sativa L.) 

 from the irrigated fields at Miltitz. We submitted separately to 

 distillation with water vapour, the ripe dried seeds, the umbels, and 

 the roots of the plants. 



1. Oil from dry seed of Pastinaca sativa L.: The bright yellow 

 oil obtained in a yield of 1,47 °/ had the following properties: 

 di5° 0,8736; « D — o°c/; n D20 o 1,43007; acid no. 4,4; ester no. 240,6; 

 ester no. after acetylation 276; soluble in 2 x j 2 and more vol. 

 80 per cent, alcohol. 



2. Oil from dry umbels of Pastinaca sativa L.: The oil had a 

 dark-brown colour, and had a very remote odour of oil of ambrette 

 seeds. It was obtained in a yield of o,3°/ ; di 5 o 1,0168; «d — °° 5°'; 

 n D20° T >50049; acid no. 4,2; ester no. 62,9; ester no. after acetyl- 



4* 



