Notes on scientific research. 85 



The Champaca tree, Michelia Champaca, L. (Magnoliacece) is likewise cultivated on 

 the Philippines for its scented flowers. From its fifth year the plant blossoms once 

 every year for 3 months, and the lowest yield of the blossoms of one tree amounts 

 to about 4.50 dollars. According as one plants the champaca tree on the square 

 system (::) or on the quincunx system (:•:), there will be 176 or 220 plants per hectare 1 ). 

 With the square arrangement other useful plants like lemongrass may be raised as 

 intermediate culture between the champaca trees, and this former system is therefore 

 considered the more profitable. When we assume that on average there will be about 

 200 plants per hectare, a champaca plantation of 1 hectare would bring in at least 

 900 dollars and, after deduction of all expenses, 683 dollars per year. 



The so-called West Indian Lemongrass, Andropogon citratus, D.C., which occurs in 

 many tropical countries, mostly in the cultivated condition, is not much cultivated on 

 the Philippines, but grows wild on the whole island and abundantly especially in the 

 high lands of Benguet. So far the plant has specially been utilised in the kitchen, 

 as an addition to baths, for incense, and also as an external remedy against headache. 

 The lemongrass plant growing quickly and thriving without any care, its cultivation 

 especially as intermediate product is recommended, since the demand for lemongrass 

 oil is increasing. The grass may be cut three or four times a year; 496 lb. of fresh 

 herb give 1 lb. of crude oil. The annual yield per acre would therefore come to 20 lb. 

 of crude oil. From well-dried leaves, which have lost 70 per cent, of their weight, 0.8 to 

 0.85 per cent, of oil 2 ) may be obtained, whilst the fresh-collected leaves yield 0.2 per cent. 

 in the rainy season and 0.55 per cent, of oil in the dry season. Nursery experiments 

 show that young leaves contain a higher percentage of oil than old leaves, and that 

 3 mowings a year give better results than 2 mowings. 



The Tetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanioides, Stapf, is also common all over the Philippines. 

 The roots, which the natives call Moras or Raiz de Moras, are commonly put into the 

 clothes to make them pleasant-scented. Their contents in essential oil varies with the 

 origin of the roots. Bacon obtained from fresh, crushed roots 1.09 per cent, of oil. 

 Crops of up to 60 kg. of roots are said to have been obtained from 100 plants. In 

 reality 100 plants grown in sandy soil in Paranaque, three to four months old, gave 

 only 23 kg. of roots which, however, had a high oil percentage. The drug can be 

 bought on all the public markets at l x \i or 12 x /2 cents per kg., 1 kg. of oil of good 

 quality is valued at 50 to 100 dollars. So far this oil has only been prepared in 

 Europe, and chiefly from roots of Indian origin. 



Cinnamomum Mercadoi, Vid., a big tree called Calingag by the Tagals, occurs chiefly 

 in the provinces of Davao, Rizal, Pampanga, Bataan, Camarines and Tayabas. Frequently 

 up to 150 trees are found per hectare, the bulk of which yields an oil resembling sassafras 

 in its smell. 25 kg. of the bark of a tree on Bataan gave 260 g. of a light-yellow 

 oil. According to older statements of travellers the Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Nees is 

 also said to occur on the island of Mindanao. 



Ginger is everywhere to be found on the Philippines, but has so far not been 

 exported. It is cultivated on a small scale and serves as a condiment for food. 132 kg. 

 of cut native roots yielded on distillation 95 g. of a pale yellow oil which .smelled of 

 ginger and also strongly of prange-peel oil. Another experiment with 50 kg. of the drug 

 yielded 25 g. of oil. The yield of a ginger field frequently comes up to 1100 to 2200 kg. 

 of roots per hectare. Although the drug fetches a good price, the high expenses do not 



: ) 1 hectare = about 2 x /« acres. — 2 ) The English report speaks of 8.2 and 5.5 per cent, of oil. The 

 figures are apparently misprints, as the previously-made statements concerning the oil yield were quite correct. 



