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Essential Oils, Sicilian and Calabrian. 



Our experienced informant, Mr. Eduardo Jacob, of Catania, writes 

 as follows: — 



Before proceeding to a discussion of the different varieties of 

 essential oils, it is necessary to point out that in consequence of the 

 earthquake it has become exceedingly difficult to form a judgment 

 of the statistical position of our essential oil market. Formerly, when 

 by far the greater part of the trade in essences was centred in 

 Messina, and when compared with the Messina shipments those from 

 other Sicilian ports and from Reggio were of more or less secondary 

 importance, it was possible to obtain continuous and exact statistics 

 concerning the exports, but at the present time this is still altogether 

 impossible. In my April report I have already referred to the pro- 

 bability that after the earthquake the trade in essences would be 

 split up, and this surmise has been realised, for whereas formerly 

 nearly three -fourths of the output were shipped via Messina and 

 Reggio, the exports via Catania and Palermo have considerably 

 increased since the catastrophic earthquake. A new organisation is 

 required for the purpose of procuring details as to the shipments from 

 the various ports, and it has as yet been impossible to form such an 

 organisation, partly owing to the difficulties encountered in the Sicilian 

 Custom houses, and partly because in various towns no statistics 

 concerning essences are being kept. 



But, although exact figures are not available, the reports which 

 ' have been received enable us to conclude that the exports during the 

 past half-year have not fallen behind those of the corresponding period 

 of 1908. Indeed, it may even be assumed that, especially as regards 

 oils of lemon and orange, they have been larger. The impending 

 new Customs Tariff in the U. S. A. has induced many of the American 

 import houses, at a time when ordinarily the requirements of American 

 buyers are slight, to lay in considerable stocks of both these oils before 

 any duties which might be adopted should come into force. Hence, 

 during the months from April to June, an extraordinarily brisk exportation 

 took place to the United States, which is now the principal place of 

 outlet of Messina essences. Later, in the course of the debates on 

 the Tariff, the conviction gained ground that oil of lemon would remain 

 on the free list, and the demand then slackened off again. On the 

 other hand, large quantities of orange oil were hurriedly thrown across 

 the Atlantic, so that they might arrive before the new duty came 

 into force. With regard to the separate varieties of essential oils, 

 the following may be noted: — 



Bergamot Oil. When once the panic which followed the earth- 

 quake, and as a result of which the prices of this article abroad had 



