Commercial notes and scientific information. 87 



between 164 and 167°. However, oxidation with alkaline permanganate gave rise to 

 lustrous leaflets of a sparingly-soluble sodium salt, perhaps sodium-nopinate. The 

 oil which passed over between 170 and 174° contained no phellandrene. On the other 

 hand, a fraction with b. p. 174 to 176° (d l5 o 0,8454; « D -{-54 o 40') contained limonene, 

 as was shown by the formation of limonene tetrabromide, m. p. 103 to 104°, when 

 brominated in glacial acetic acid solution. The same fraction, when saturated with 

 hydrochloric acid gas under cooling, gave dipentene dihydrochloride, m. p. 50°. With 

 dipentene dihydrochloride of different origin this derivative suffered no depression of 

 m. p. The fractions of the oil which were the last to pass over, b. p. 177 to 179° 

 (diso 0,8429; « D + 63°50'), were tested for terpinene with negative results. 



Rose Oil, Bulgarian. Trade in this important article has been thoroughly un- 

 satisfactory throughout the past winter, inasmuch as consumers were very rightly 

 most averse from conceding the enormous prices demanded for first-class quality. 

 Our offers are in an increasing degree met with the objection: "we are able to buy 

 a guaranteed pure oil, which answers all the tests, at several 100 marks per kilo 

 less money". It is unnecessary for us to express an opinion of the pecularities of 

 these cheap qualities, but it is in the highest degree regrettable that even old-established 

 firms with honoured names should lend themselves to the traffic in such merchandise, 

 although from their relations with the sources of supply they must be thoroughly con- 

 versant with the cost of really pure oil. As the result of the war has been favourable 

 for Bulgaria, the hostilities have not contributed to raise the price of rose oil; on the 

 contrary, holders showed themselves disposed at times to make concessions in order 

 to obtain ready money. Up to the present little can be said as to the prospects of 

 this year's crop, the climatic conditions of the next few months being the determining 

 factor in the development of the flowers. One of our correspondents informs us that 

 the rather warm weather which prevailed towards the end of January has brought the 

 new shoots forward somewhat precociously, but that afterwards a few severe frosts 

 have done considerable damage, and that for this reason it may be necessary to prepare 

 for another poor harvest. Owing to the war it has been difficult to procure any statistical 

 data; we hope to be able to give further particulars in our next Report. 



The following report 1 ) from another source has also reached us: 

 The crop of 1912 was one of the smallest since 1871, its total output having 

 reached only 2987 kilos, which, compared with the crop of 1911, shows a falling-off of 

 about 30 p. c. It has nevertheless been one of the most profitable crops on record. 

 The average price of flowers until the year 1910 was 20 centimes per kilo, whereas 

 the average price of flowers in the season 1912 was 45 centimes per kilo. The total 

 output of flowers of the 1912 crop amounted to about 9000000 kilos, with an average 

 yield of 1 kilo of rose oil per 3000 kilos flowers. In 1912 the average price of rose- 

 oil has also been the highest ever known, that is to say 2520 Fr. per kilo; whereas 

 the average price during the period from 1880 to 1910 was only 1020 -Fr. per kilo. 

 So high an average price as that of the season 1912 is seemingly abnormal, but the 

 advance was almost inevitable. In the course of the last five years everything has 

 doubled, or even trebled in price in Bulgaria; the consumption of oil of rose has more 

 than doubled since the year 1900, and since 1901 the crops have fallen below the 

 average demand. The stock of rose oil in the growing districts is entirely exhausted, 



*) Dated April 12. 



