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Mandarin Oil. In our last Autumn Report attention was called 

 to the approaching bad harvest of this fine species of citrus; as a 

 matter of fact, the production of this oil has been very small, with 

 prices which immediately set in very high. 



During the producing months October/November the prices moved 

 on a basis of 35 marks, and since then they have advanced to over 

 45 marks. 



Orange Oil, bitter. As already stated in the last Autumn 

 Report, the blossoms of the orange trees had turned out poorly; 

 moreover, the prices for forward delivery of bitter oranges in cases 

 were already during the summer of 1906 so high that only a very 

 small production of oil was to be expected. 



As a matter of fact, the prices have, with very small supplies to 

 the market, moved slowly but steadily upwards right from the beginning 

 of the season, and have advanced from 16.50 to 20 marks. Extremely 

 little bitter orange oil is now left available for export. 



Orange Oil, sweet. Although the orange crop has been very 

 rich in Sicily and Calabria, there were significant reasons in favour of 

 high, rather than for low prices of the new orange oil. 



The fruit had grown last year under very favourable conditions, 

 and promised to be of good keeping quality; this gave a prospect of 

 a very brisk export during the winter months, and induced many landed 

 proprietors not to sell the crop of their gardens in advance, but to 

 await the export season and its better prices. 



Under these circumstances the orange oil manufacturer found great 

 difficulties in obtaining supplies of friiit, unless they paid prices for it 

 which seriously increased the cost of orange oil. A further difficulty 

 for the manufacturers was the question of labour. The constantly 

 (epidemic-like) spreading emigration of the country people of Sicily 

 and Calabria to America has denuded the entire provinces of the necessary 

 labourers. Even at much higher wages than formerly it is often impossible 

 to find the necessary workmen of any class and any trade. It goes 

 without saying that these conditions are bound to contribute to a 

 reduction in the production of orange oil. In any case they drive 

 up the cost of the oil, and thereby cause a displacement upwards of 

 the present average price level. 



To these general conditions which have exerted their influence not 

 only in the present year, but must also henceforth be always taken into 

 account, was added this year a very small content of oil in the orange fruit. 



All this led to a slow but constantly advancing tendency of this 

 article, which, starting from 16 marks, moved during the manufacturing 

 season up to the present level. The visible supplies are this year 

 possibly somewhat larger than last year, and amount to about 7000 kilos. 



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