104 Report of Schimmel § Co. 1922. 



grass and citronella grass and yields an oil similar to that of vetiver. In British 

 Guiana and Brazil, the branches of the priprioca tree (Ocotea preciosa, Nees, Lauracece — 

 female priprioca 1 )) contain an oil somewhat resembling linaloe oil. From Brazil, Venezuela 

 and Colombia, copaiba balsam, from Salvador largely balsam of Peru, and from Colombia 

 principally balsam of Tolu are exported. Mexico and Central America yield oil of 

 turpentine. Finally, v/e mention vanilla and tonka beans which are grown in Mexico and 

 'the West Indies, and in Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago, the Guianas, and Brazil respectively. 



The National Committee on medicinal plants and plants yielding essential oil and 

 extracts growing in Italy and the Italian colonies published a report 2 ) on its activities 

 in 1915 to 1919. The Committee was formed at the beginning of the war in order to 

 propagate the cultivation and utilization of medicinal plants in Italy. The report 

 enumerates the following plants, the cultivation of which come under consideration: — 

 Peppermint, calamus, common and Roman chamomile, cherry laurel, lavender, balm 

 (melissa), rosemary, thyme, valerian, anise, cumin, eucalyptus, fennel, rose, sage, and 

 violets. — In the surroundings of Naples, and in general on the south coast, inter alia, 

 various rose varieties such as Rosa Hayi, R. Brunner, R. damascena, R. centifolia, 

 R. Drusky were cultivated. Since the cultivation would appear to pay — the oils 

 extracted with ether were very fragrant — , it is intended to be continued. From fennel 

 seed, melissa* and laurel leaves, the blossoms of Origanum vulgare, L. and the leaves 

 of Lippia citriodora, H. B. et K., the Institute of pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Naples 

 University obtained, by distillation, a good yield of the essential oils. 



A publication by W. W. Stockberger 3 ) deals with the cultivation of drug plants in 

 the United States. In numerous places in the Central and Eastern States the following 

 drug plants have been found to thrive well:— anise, belladonna, caraway, chamomile, 

 conium, coriander, digitalis, dill, elecampane, fennel, henbane, horehound, sage, stram- 

 onium, tansy, and thyme. — Aconite, arnica, lovage, poppy, senega, valerian, and worm- 

 wood seem to thrive best in the northern part of the U. S. where the rainfall is well 

 distributed. On the other hand, cannabis, licorice, and wormseed are better suited 

 to the warmer climate of the South. — Alethris, althaea, angelica, calamus, orris, 

 pinkroot (Sjrigelia marilandica. L), peppermint, serpentaria, and spearmint are adapted 

 generally for situations where the soil is rich and moist, but lavender and larkspur 

 prefer well-drained sandy soil. Ginseng and goldenseal {Hydrastis canadensis, L.) occur 

 naturally on rich soil in the partial shade of forest trees. In addition to the plants 

 mentioned, the following have further been cultivated:— cascara sagrada, castor-oil 

 plant, Pyrethrum cinerariaefolium, Trev., Lobelia inflata, L, parsley, pokeweed, safflower, 

 saffron, vetiver, wintergreen, and wormseed. 



In a paper entitled, "Michigan, an important source of raw vegetable products", 

 H. Kraemer 4 ) reports on cultivation experiments started with about 50 drug plants in 

 the botanical garden of the university of Michigan. As the experiments turned ont 

 satisfactorily, Kraemer advocates a more extensive cultivation of the plants in Michigan. 

 Of aromatic plants, spearmint and, above all, peppermint have been cultivated in that 

 State. The peppermint oil industry, the development and history of which the author 

 relates in full, started originally in Wayne County, New York, and was introduced into 

 Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and other states later. The climate and soil of Michigan 



l ) Cf. Report April 1911, 87. — 2 ) Federaziont pro Mqntibun, Pubblicazione N° 94, Rome, 1921. .— 

 ») 77. S. Dep. Agr., Farmer's Bull. 663, August 1920. — 4 ) Mich. Acad. Sci. Report No. 21 , 1919. As per a 

 reprint kindly forwarded to us. 



