- 8 7 - 



the consequence of which will be that no new stills will be put up from 

 now on and that the old stills will not be renewed when out of working 

 order. 



Prices may soon advance again. The paper pulp industry is con- 

 suming large quantities of trees and as it is reckoned that growing 

 spruce pays ten per cent, interest on its value simply by growing, it 

 can be readily seen why the owners of spruce land hesitate making 

 the trees into oil, unless at a very high figure. 



Star anise Oil. Even the price of 4/-, which was reported in 

 November last, did not mark the lowest point touched by the article, 

 for in the month of December a somewhat considerable transaction 

 was actually concluded at 3/1 1 3 / 4 . Since then, the quotations have 

 moved between 4/- and 4/2, but within the last few days an easier 

 tendency has again manifested itself, and for the present has dashed 

 all hopes of an upward course of the value. Tonquin star anise oil 

 has also been available in plenty last year, but the considerable 

 business which took place was not always concluded without claims, 

 as on several occasions cases filled with stones were found among 

 the consignments. The proceedings which in some instances have been 

 instituted against the shippers of these goods by the insurance com- 

 panies will, it is hoped, clear up the question whether robbery had 

 been committed during the voyage, or whether irregularities had taken 

 place in the course of shipment at the other side. 



Oil of Tagetes patula. In our Report of November 1908, 

 p. 141, we gave some particulars of the oil of Tagetes patula L. 

 obtained from the fresh umbels with the involucre. We are now in a 

 position to add the following details. 



We made the umbels (all of which were of the same crop) 

 air-dry, and then subjected them to steam distillation. The yield 

 of oil was 0,08 °/ from the fresh, and 0,57 °/o fr° m tne dried 

 umbels and was of a brownish yellow colour; it scarcely differed from 

 the oil previously described. Its constants were as follows: d^o 0,8925, 

 a D — 9°, n D20° M9938, acid no. 6,4, ester no. 10,6, soluble in 9 

 to 10 vols, of 90 per cent, alcohol, producing cloudiness; miscible with 

 95 per cent, alcohol. 



The oil obtained from the air-dried stalks and leaves by water- 

 and-steam-distillation showed similar properties. Of this oil we obtained 

 °>°7 % f rom tne fresh, and 0,218 °/ from the dried herb. di 5 o 0,9034; 

 a D -f- i° 15'; n D20° M9938; acid no. 14; ester no. 12,4 (after heating 

 again the ester no. was 10,6); not clearly soluble in 10 vols, of 

 90 per cent, alcohol; miscible with 95 per cent, alcohol. From the 

 saponification-liquors, a fatty acid (palmitic acid) m. p. 62 °, could be 

 separated after repeated re-crystallisation. 



