- 9 8 - 



will remain at their present level. At the moment, pure crude oil is 

 quoted in England at 30/- to 31/- per lb. It is notorious that great 

 caution must be exercised in purchasing, Mitcham peppermint oil 

 being an article of confidence in the most literal sense of the term. 



Peppermint Oil, French. Roure- Bert rand Fils 1 ) in the last 

 issue of their report, give further particulars ofi the progress of their 

 investigations of French peppermint oil 2 ). By fractional distillation of 

 the oil, which had previously been saponified, they were able to iso- 

 late and identify the following constituents: — 1. Isovaleric aldehyde. 

 2. Isoamylic alcohol. 3. 1-Pinene. 4. zl 3 -p-Menthene(?). 5. Cineol. 

 These constituents amount to about 6°/o of the oil examined. Analysis 

 also showed the oil to contain 38% of free and 13,5% of esterified 

 menthol, as well as 6,4 °/ of menthone. Further details as to the 

 investigation, which is still proceeding, are promised. 



Peppermint Oil, Japanese. The firmer tendency of the Japanese 

 peppermint oil market during the months of March and April was 

 supported about the middle of May by the news that in Hokkaido, 

 in the province of Kitami, in the neighbourhood of Yubetsu, Takoro, 

 and Natsukenshi, large tracts of the cultivations had been destroyed by 

 floods, the damage at that time being estimated at from 30 to 4O°/ 

 of the total. Owing to a brisker demand from the United States, 

 prices gradually advanced to 9/2 for menthol and 5/9 for oil, but 

 at these quotations no transactions took place, the market movement 

 gradually becoming flatter, and falling to 8/- for menthol and 5/5 d. 

 for oil. The tendency in the European market may be gathered from 

 the fact that both articles were repeatedly quoted in London at lower 

 prices than in Japan. 



This year's output of peppermint oil in Japan is estimated at about 

 1 1 0000 kin, of which 100 000 kin will be produced in Hokkaido. In 

 some quarters the estimates as regards Hondo are given at even 

 lower figures than those supplied by our informants. It is hardly 

 likely that the new crop will be on the market before the end of the 

 year. The old stocks still in the hands of the farmers and refiners 

 are estimated at about 100 000 kin, which, compared with former years, 

 must be regarded as very small. When we consider that Hokkaido 

 peppermint oil is notoriously poorer in menthol than is Hondo oil, 

 it will be seen from the above figures that, especially as regards 

 menthol, the market may be described as firm. It is pretty certain 

 therefore that there will be no fall in prices of this product during the 

 coming season, while, on the other hand, the Japanese of course will 



*) Berichte of Roure-Bertrand Fils, April 1909, 40. 

 2 ) Comp. Report April 1909, 76. 



