— 66 — 



ference of rose oil merchants and manufacturers for the I st of July, at 

 which broadly the following resolutions were passed: — 



1. The rose oil producers are recommended to cultivate no white 

 roses if possible, as they give a small yield and are generally inferior; 



2. The Government to be applied to, to establish experimental' 

 fields at which the best conditions for the rose - cultivation and the 

 protection against diseases, parasites, etc. are to be studied. Plantation 

 experiments with all other possible aromatic plants to be also carried 

 out on those fields; 



3. Everyone to be free to distil roses by means of steam or other 

 systems; 



4. The Government to be requested to support in the most 

 energetic manner the cultivation and distillation of all newly introduced 

 aromatic plants; 



5. The conference unanimously denounces the adulteration of rose 

 oil and recommends the Government to use all means at its disposal 

 to protect the purity of the oil. The conference recommends among 

 others that the Government should exercise control over all distilling 

 installations in which at least 100 000 kilos petals are used up. This 

 controlled oil to be provided with an official seal after the manufac- 

 ture and when exported; the control would therefore no longer be 

 exercised by the custom-houses. In this manner the Government 

 would force the small distillers to combine to a union of interested parties 

 instead of competing with each other; 



6. It is suggested to the producers that they should obtain offici- 

 ally tested thermometers, so that they may not be imposed upon when 

 selling or collecting rose oil. The exclusive use of such thermometer 

 to be impressed upon all communities and merchants. 



The Postmaster- General to be requested to treat samples of rose 

 oil as "samples without value" and not as parcels containing valuables 

 for which a high rate of postage has to be paid. 



We have had no opportunity yet to discuss with our informants 

 in how far these resolutions can be carried out, and what the expected 

 effect of these regulations on the rose oil trade is. For our part, we 

 sincerely welcome every step which may be taken to improve the 

 position of an article which in the true sense of the word must be 

 called a victim of the adulterators. 



Parry 1 ) has had an opportunity of examining a considerable 

 number of rose oils which had been adulterated in the most serious 

 manner. The adulterators endeavour to take advantage of the ex- 

 perience that rose oil produced in a special manner behaves differently 



1 ) Chemist and Druggist 69 (1906), 230. 



