— 41 — 



vance the prices, these remain to-day at pretty much the same level 

 as six months ago — that is to say, about i/- c. i. f., for future deliv- 

 ery, with a weak tendency. 



The exports from Ceylon up to the end of July 1909 (so far as 

 is known) amounted to 982468 lbs., compared with 



742 91 1 lbs. in the corresponding period of 1908, 

 687140 „ „ „ „ „ „ 1907, 



580832 „ „ „ „ „ „ 1906, 



The increase by about 50000 lbs., in the exports, to which ref- 

 erence was already made in our April Report, has therefore grown 

 by this time to 240000 lbs., which probably constitutes a record. 

 There is no doubt that this heavy excess must be attributed to the 

 new producing districts which have lately been opened up in the 

 southern parts of Ceylon, their influence upon the exports in the 

 course of the past few months having been unquestionable. The fact 

 that in these circumstances prices were able to maintain themselves, 

 as was the case during the past 3 or 4 months, appears to indicate 

 a renewed increase in the consumption of citronella oil, for nothing 

 is known of any heavy speculative stocks which might possibly 

 depress the prices. In spite of this relatively ready absorption of 

 the increased arrivals, signs are not wanting that prices will yield a 

 little later on. Already the most recent quotations have again fallen 

 below 1/-. 



In the export statistics from Ceylon, England still continues to 

 figure as the principal customer for citronella oil, but it must not be 

 forgotten that important quantities of the exports which are entered 

 under the heading "England" are destined for shipment, via London, 

 to New York or Germany. 



In a previous Report 1 ) we referred at length to a paper by Stapf 

 on the classification and the new nomenclature of the Andropogon 

 grasses. Stapf divides these grasses into 3 groups, called respectively 

 Cymbopogon, Andropogon and Vetiveria. Citronella grass {Cymbopogon 

 Nardus Rendle) is included under the 10 species of the first-named 

 genus, and of this grass it is stated, among other details, that it only 

 occurs in the cultivated state, and that its mother-plant is probably 

 Mana grass, Cymbopogon confertiflorus Stapf (Andropogon Nardus var. 

 nilagiricus Hack.), which grows wild in Ceylon and is poor in oil. 

 J. F. Jowitt 2 ) opposes these views. His investigations show that, besides 



*) Report April 1907, 30. f 



*) Annals of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, vol. IV, part IV, December 

 1908, p. 185. From a copy kindly sent to us. 



