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Peppermint Oil, French. In continuation of some information 

 which we gave in one of our last Reports 1 ) on French peppermint 

 oil, we give now a short description of an oil distilled by our- 

 selves at our Barreme factory. The crude oil had a rather yellow 

 colour and possessed a fine peppermint aroma, especially when diluted; 

 by means of rectification a colourless distillate was obtained. d i5 o 0,9 1 98 ; 

 «d — 9° 16'; io,2°/ ester menthol; 48,9% total menthol; 3,9% 

 menthone; soluble in 1,2 and more vol. 80 per cent, alcohol, when 

 more than 3 vol. were added, opalescence. 



As already mentioned by us before, the French oils are very 

 popular in France. 



Peppermint Oil, Japanese. The estimates of this year's harvest 

 which reached us from our friends in Japan at the end of June, 

 differed from each other to a not inconsiderable extent, inasmuch 

 as the lowest mentioned 240000 kin, and the highest 265000 kin. 

 The mean of the various statements divided over the different 

 provinces is as follows: — 



Bingu Bitchiu, etc. 150000 kin 

 Yonezawa . . . 25000 „ 

 Hokkaido . . . 80000 „ 



total 255000 kin crude oil. 



To this must be added 60000 kin stocks remaining over from 

 last year, so that a total of about 315000 kin will be available for 

 consumption, i. e. about 390000 lbs. Now if it were taken into 

 consideration that important stocks of peppermint oil and menthol 

 are still held in Europe, there appeared to be for the present no 

 grounds for anticipating higher prices than last year. As the peasants, 

 according to experience, are inclined to spread false rumours about 

 the first cut, the above estimates had hardly reached the European 

 market when reports sprang up that the fields had suffered heavily 

 from the drought. Although subsequent information was again more 

 favourable, the sellers showed great reserve, and fresh supplies were 

 all the less urgently required as large stocks were still on hand; and 

 as a smaller demand for consumption is made during the summer 

 months, both purchasers and sellers assumed an observant attitude. 

 The second cut took place under favourable weather-conditions, but 

 in July and August rumours were set afloat of a threatening failure 

 of the harvest in the American peppermint districts, so that the bulls 

 succeeded in starting a strong upward movement of the market in 



*) Report April 1905, 62. 



