— 54 — 



Fennel Oil. The reports on the harvest in the Galician and 

 Russian districts this year are on the whole again very favourable, 

 although of course the abnormal weather conditions which have been 

 observed throughout Europe, have there also not been without in- 

 jurious effect. The result in Roumania is said to be very good, so 

 that no doubt on the average the same fennel prices will rule as 

 in 1906. The Macedonian article is kept very high, and for this 

 reason can hardly come under consideration this season for working 

 up into oil. For the rest, this quality is consumed almost exclusively 

 in France; the 1906 crop (as we learn from a belated report) amounted 

 to about 650000 kilos, against about 800000 kilos in 1905. 



Lilla 1 ) recommends that the fennel cultivation, for the production 

 of oil, should be taken up in Italy, as it gives remunerative results. 

 The average yield is 5 to 8 cwts. per acre, and the price per cwt. 

 45 to 60 francs. The time for sowing fennel (which according to 

 Lilla, demands a not too moist, well manured and properly worked - 

 up mould), commences at the end of January and lasts until the 

 middle of February. The furrows are made 3 to 4 inches deep and 

 28 to 32 inches apart; 9 to 13 lbs. are sowed out per acre. When 

 the young stalks are 3 to 4 inches high, the rows are thinned out, 

 so that the plants are left 4 to 6 inches apart. The weeding and 

 turning over of the soil should receive due attention. The harvest 

 takes place in August. 



Geranium Oil. The Algerian oil suffered again from great 

 neglect, so much so that the producers were compelled to reduce 

 their quotations from 30 to 26 francs, without meeting with any 

 particular response on the part of the consumers. Although the first 

 cut is said to have given a quantitative result below the average, 

 and the second cut has also turned out very deficient owing to con- 

 tinued drought, we succeeded in purchasing some parcels at 24 francs, 

 but this price is believed to be unremunerative, and in the last few 

 weeks the tendency was less yielding. According to the official 

 statistics, the export in the first 6 months of this year amounted to 

 only 16700 kilos, against 29300 kilos in the same period of 1906. 

 The mean value of the export only came to barely 25 francs per 

 kilo, against 30 francs in the previous year. These figures speak for 

 themselves. 



The main reason for the unsatisfactory prices is of course to be 

 found in the absolutely desperate condition of Reunion oil, which 



*) II Coltivatore; ace. to Bulletin de l'Office du Gouvern. gen. de l'Algerie 13 

 (1907), 211. 



