W - 75 - 



For some considerable time attempts have been made to cultivate 

 essential-oil yielding plants in the State of Victoria, but so far with very 

 little success. We gather, however, from an article by J. Knight 1 ), that 

 quite recently the prospects have improved. Knight is of opinion that 

 lavender can be grown successfully by the rural population. The grower, 

 however, should be content to sell either the flowers or the oil, and should 

 not attempt to manipulate the oil in the making-up of perfumes, as all 

 such attempts have hitherto only led to failure. In the neighbourhood of 

 Melbourne about 40 lbs. of oil per acre has been produced, and in Pentridge 

 an acre yielded from 3 to 4 tons of flowers. 



In the subjoined table we present a comparison of several samples 

 of lavender oil which have been submitted for our opinion in the course 

 of the past six months, and the examination of which revealed in every 

 instance an increase of the original ester-content by the addition of foreign 

 esters (mostly glycerol acetate). In order to afford a clearer review we 

 have indicated those values which deviate from the constants of normal 

 oils by heavy type. We deem it desirable once more to point out the 

 absolute necessity of carrying out, in the case of all oils which are valued 

 according to their ester-content, the test for foreign esters proposed by us, 

 for a glance at the table shows that several of the samples possessed quite 

 normal constants, although nevertheless a more thorough examination 

 showed them to be adulterated. 



In samples Nos. 1 and 2, fractional saponification of the original as 

 well as of the steam-distilled oil showed excessive difference between the 

 ester-value estimated in concentrated and that estimated in dilute solution 

 (comp. Report October 1911, 116) an addition in each oil of about 3 p. c. 

 terpinyl acetate being thereby established. 



Sample No. 3 was similarly adulterated, but in addition the presence 

 in this sample of an ester of a sparingly-volatile acid and of a certain 

 proportion of glycerol acetate was established. (For the estimation of 

 acid v. II comp. Report October 1910, 61 ; for the detection of glycerol ester 

 Report April 1911, 150, and the present Report, p. 60, under bergamot oil.) 

 ^ All the other samples likewise contained glycerol ester: — In the 

 ^:ase of sample No. 8, which apparently contained 54,1 p. c. linalyl acetate, 

 v/e should have liked to have had at our disposal a larger quantity of 

 experimental material, for we should then have been able to expose the 

 impudence with which the sophisticators proceed in order to impart to 

 inferior oils an apparent ester-content which surpasses even the actual 

 ester-content of our speciality of high-grade Barreme lavender oil. 



2 ) Journal of Agriculture, Victoria, May 1912. Quoted from Chemist and Druggist 81 

 (1912), 369. 



