Commercial and scientific notes on essential oils. 41 



North Africa. The plant is also easily distinguished from other Juniperus species, 

 like the very similar Juniperus Sabina, L., especially by the compactness and the 

 shape of the sclerogen cells of the berries. After giving an exact botanical description 

 of Juniperus thurifera, var. gallica, De Coiny, Lestra reports on the essential oil 

 obtained by steam distillation of the various parts of the fresh plant. The yield 

 amounted to 0.15 per cent, of a straw-coloured viscid oil (0.096 per cent, of the dry 

 plant). The constants were as follows: — d 15Q 0.9115, a D -f-32.2°, n D20 o 1.4963, soluble 

 in chloroform and in 96 per cent, alcohol, in 20 parts of 70 per cent, alcohol, in 

 10 parts of ligroin (?), acid v. 6.5, sap. v. 67.4, ester v. 60.9 (ester content 21 per cent., 

 in addition to 0.57 per cent, of free alcohol), iodine v. 24.5. Through experiments 

 with animals, it was established that the oil is an emmenagogue, like oil of savin. 



Lavender Oil. — When last year's crop began, the market was very weak, for 

 in consequence of the sluggish sales a considerable part of the previous campaign 

 (it is rumored even about half) was still unsold in the South of France. The prices 

 offered to the gatherers were low in consequence, only 20 to 30 Francs per 100 kilos 

 of flowers being paid, according to the district. It is to be taken into accpunt that 

 the usual daily wages amount to 15 or even 17 Francs and that one man cannot gather 

 more than 70 to 80 kilos per day. No wonder that the gatherers restricted their work 

 to the more easily accessible districts, i. e., the lower regions. This may account for 

 the fact that, according to the unanimous judgment of our informants, the ester content 

 of the oils was somewhat lower, on an average, than in the previous year, for the 

 qualities with a high percentage are distilled exclusively of flowers from high regions. 

 Owing to the low collectors' wages, only half the crop, which was very good last 

 year, is said to have been gathered. At first, good lavender, oils only fetched from 

 55 to 60 Francs per kilo and there was very little demand. Only after the annual 

 lavender oil fairs, the most important one of which took place at Digne on October 1 st , 

 the market became firmer, as some Grasse firms purchased considerable quantities. 

 Business resulted more brisk early in December, due to a fair demand from abroad, 

 and towards the middle of January about 100 Francs had to be paid for good qualities 

 of 40 per cent, ester. Then there was a pause and the market is quiet now with a 

 slight downward tendency. If nothing unforeseen happens and the demand continues 

 slack, there may be a decline in the next months. However, it will scarcely be con- 

 siderable, as a good many owners mean to keep back their production, being con- 

 vinced that the rising costs of gathering, distilling, etc., will influence the coming 

 crop and send prices up. Besides, there is the possibility of smaller crop this time. 



According to a Bulletin clu Syndicat des Producteurs de Fleurs et d'Essence de 

 Lavande du Departement de Vaucluse et des Regions limitrophes, published in March this 

 year and dealing specially with the fair at Digne on October 1 st 1921, the normal 

 prices for lavender oils ought to be between 90 and 120 Francs, if it is taken into 

 consideration that the pre-war figures for medium qualities ranged from 30 to 40 Francs 

 per kilo. The author tries to prove that the costs have trebled and that the selling 

 prices ought to go up in proportion. The costs of gathering (from 4 to 7 Francs per 

 100 kilos before the war) amounted to 25 Francs in 1919 and have sometimes exceeded 

 50 Francs in 1920. Last year, the manufacturers declared that, owing to the general 

 depression and the sluggish sales, they would rather take no flowers at all than pay 

 more than 10 to 12 Francs. The gatherers knew this and some of them were willing 

 to work nevertheless, but they were few in number. The owners of the lavender 

 districts wanted more hands, however, and could only get them through paying higher 



