Commercial and scientific notes on essential oils. 37 



When trying to reduce the /?-olibanol in the same way, the authors only obtained 

 the unaltered material, in addition to resinous products. 



An ordinary oil of frankincense, distilled in vacuo, yielded a compound Ci Hi 6 O 

 (b. p. 114 to 116° [15 mm.], di 8 o 0.9502). This product (/-olibanol) which it was impossible 

 to reduce like «-olibanol or to transform into the ^-compound by heating, yielded on 

 oxidation a liquid acid and did not react with semicarbazide. Even after ordinary oil 

 of frankincense had been stored for five years, no «-olibanol ^had formed in it. 



Geranium Oil. — The production of geranium oil in North Africa has decreased 

 considerably. Whereas 140000 kifos were distilled in Morocco, Algiers and Tunis, in 

 1914, only 15000 kilos were obtained in these three countries in 1920. In consequence,' 

 the price rose from 30 or 35 Francs in 1914 to 250 Francs per kilo in 1920. There 

 was a change, however, in 1921, for in spite of a very small crop (only 14000 kilos) 

 not more than 70 Francs were paid per kilo in the producing districts. As the geranium 

 growers find these low prices unprofitable, they intend giving up the cultivation of the 

 geranium plant altogether 1 ). 



A. Rolet 2 ) reports on the crops and the yield of geranium plants in various countries, 

 where the plant is cultivated. The time of the crop varies according to the district 

 and the way of cultivating. In the Provence, the crop takes place in August/September, 

 very rarely for a second time in October/November. As the plants would freeze in 

 winter, a fresh cultivation must be started every year. As soon as the leaves lose their 

 lustre, the plants are mown, preferably towards evening on fine days, so that the herb 

 does not dry out too much. 



In Corsica (Pelargonium odoratissimum) , there are two cuts, in May and August, 

 very seldom a third one in September/October, when only slips come into consideration 3 ). 



In Algiers, the crop begins already in spring, generally in April, as soon as the 

 plants start flowering. There is a second cut in June/July and a third one in October- 

 November. There are five crops within two years, the yield being smaller in the first 

 year than later on. On good soil, such as in Boufarik, the stalks are from 50 to 70 cm. 

 long, otherwise they only measure from 25 to 30 cm. 4 ) 



In Italy {Pelargonium roseum, Willd.), there is only one crop in the first year of 

 cultivation, in August/September, whereas in the second year the plants are cut in 

 May, August and October/November. The plants can be used there for four, some- 

 times even for up to eight years. If only the flowers are gathered, the oil of which 

 is supposed to be finer, according to Blandini 5 ), the crops are more frequent. The 

 author once started on the 18 th of April in Portici and left off gathering the flowers 

 on June 14 th , after having had eight crops. 



In Reunion, one crop follows the other 6 ). If the intention is to keep up the 

 cultivation for several years, the plants are cut down more than if they are renewed 

 every year. In order not to uproot the plants, tree-shears are used for cutting in the 

 first year and sickles later on. The cut plants are sent at once to be distilled, for if 

 they stay in heaps for some time they get hot, start fermenting and lose in value. 



The output varies and depends on all sorts of circumstances, such as way of 

 cultivating, soil, manure, irrigation, number of crops, 8jc. 



J ) Zeitachr. d.Deutseh. Ol- u. Fett-Ind. 41 (1921), 825. — 2 ) Parfum. modeme 13 (1920), 60. — s ) Comp. 



ISep&rt October 1010, 70. — *) Comp. Report October 1913, 61. — 5 ) Comp. Gildemeister and Hoffmann, 



the Volatile Oils, 2^ edition, vol. II, p. 614, foot-note 5. Report April 1907, 54. — 6 ) Comp. Report 

 April 1914, 64. 



