Commercial and scientific notes on essential oils. 57 



oil, which had the pronounced odour of citral. On the addition of Schiff's reagent, 

 it soon developed a purplish colour and it rapidly reduced an ammoniacat solution 

 of silver oxide. A further identification of the citral and, consequently, the linalool, 

 was not possible, the available quantities being too small. 



The authors proved further that the saponified distillate, extracted with ether, 

 contained very small quantities of methyl alcohol (oxidation with potassium per- 

 manganate led to formaldehyde). The acids were characterized by their silver salts; 

 the aldehydes (acetaldehyde and an aldehyde of higher molecular weight) were prepared 

 from the bisulphite compounds. 



In a similar way as in their investigation of the odorous constituents of apples 1 ), 

 the authors proved that the .aromatic substances of peaches contain traces of acet- 

 aldehyde, even if prepared without the assistance of heat. 



No trace of hydrocyanic acid or benzaldehyde could be detected in the distillate 

 from peach pulp. It may therefore be concluded that amygdalin is restricted to the 

 kernels of the fruit. 



Peppermint Oil, American. — Although the use of American peppermint oil is 

 almost out of the question now in Germany, owing to tremendous rate of exchange 

 for the dollar, we were nevertheless able to purchase small quantities of our well- 

 known brand "F. S. § Co.", as abroad; especially in the neutral countries, there are 

 a good many customers for it, who only reluctantly would use another quality instead. 

 Under the influence of the large stocks from 1920 and the general depression in the 

 United States, last year's price of $ 5.75 per pound of good crude oil was no longer 

 to be maintained. The market gave way quickly, especially after the 1921 crop had 

 shown the splendid result of 350000 lbs., so that it was possible in the end to buy 

 at S 1-50. This figure attracts the attention of the speculators and it is the talk already 

 now that producers and dealers, who already last winter tried everything in order to 

 prevent the article from declining any further, will not allow the control of the stocks 

 to pass out of their hands. The quantities available were rather important towards 

 the end of 1921 and as the 1922 crop will very probably also give a good result, one 

 may reckon with a continuance of the present low prices, at least for the near future. 

 Besides, a considerable enlargement of the peppermint fields in the West is to be 

 expected, as other agricultural products promise still less benefit for the time being. 

 The absence of the regular German demand makes itself keenly felt, of course, but 

 as long as France and England do everything in order to damage our political economy 

 and to reduce the buying power of our money, it is not to be thought of a recurrence 

 of the former export of American peppermint oil to Germany. 



The fiftieth anniversary of the day of their firm's foundation (August 28 th , 1871) 

 has induced our New York friends, Mess rs Fritzsche Brothers, Inc., to ask their 

 representative in the peppermint districts for an extensive historical report covering 

 the period of 50 years. It contains a good many important data concerning the 

 development of the peppermint oil industry in the United States and we copy some 

 of the details which might interest our readers. 



The cultivation of peppermint in the West started as far back as 1852 to 1854, 

 in the County of St. Joseph in Michigan. The distillation took place especially in the 

 towns of Florence, Sherman, and Lockport. In the years from 1858 to 1860, there were 

 about 10 farmers who grew peppermint, each about 30 to 50 acres of hilly land. The 



l ) Comp. Bericht (German) 1921, 7. 



