- COMMERCIAL NOTES AND SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION. 4] 
We are unable in this place to enter into a detailed and precise morphological 
and anatomical description of Popowia Capea. We only note that the essential oil is 
localised in special cells, which are usually isolated, but that it occurs in all the 
divisions of parenchyma of the stalks and the leaves. 
From 42 kilos leaves the authors obtained 246 grams (= 0,59 p.c.) of a volatile oil. 
By far the greater part (160 grams) was heavier, the remainder (86 grams) lighter, than 
water. The analytical constants of the entire oil and of the heavy and light fractions 
respectively are as follow: — 
Entire oil Heavy fract. Light fract. 
(odie Se er 1,0042 1,0081 0,9960 
sol 2 + 76° 56’ ; + 90° 54’ + 51° 26’ 
=D ee 2,8 1 en 
Sap:Vv=. st) ieee 166,1 192,3 12352 
Sap. v. aiter acet. .. 239,9 248,3 218,4 
Solubility in80 p.c.alc. 1vol., afterwards 1vol.,afterwardsvery 1 vol., afterwards 
turbidity. pronounced turbidity. marked turbidity. 
Solubility in95p.c.alc. 0,5 vol. afterwards from 3vols clearly 0,5 vol. afterwards 
slight opalescence. marked opalescence. very slight turbidity. 
Acetylation causes a very great diminution in the rotation; in the entire oil to 
+ 13°48’, in the heavy fractions to + 18°4’ and in the light fractions to + 5°12’. 
6 p.c. of the oil combines with bisulphite. 
The saponification liquors yielded a very thick, oily liquid, with a clearly perceptible 
odour of cinnamic alcohol. The liquid did not crystallise. 
Caraway Oil. The report of a shortage in the Dutch caraway crop which we 
published last October has been confirmed in every respect. The oil-content of the 
caraway of the 1913 crop was surprisingly small, and the Dutch caraway oil manu- 
facturers have apparently derived little satisfaction from their operations in that season. 
The advances in price which were prognosticated have only been realized in a very 
modest degree, because large stocks of caraway from the record-crop of 1911 con- 
tinued to depress the market. The prospects for 1914 are said to be unfavourable. 
It is true that so far no official data are available from the Department of Agriculture, 
but from certain districts come reports that the area under cultivation is below that 
of 1913, and that a number of fields have been ploughed up because the plants had 
stood the winter badly. As a result the prices of caraway of the new seed (Aug.-Sept. 
delivery) have for the present advanced considerably. The first Government reports 
on the condition of the plantations are usually published on 15‘ April, and nothing 
definite can therefore be said at present as to the future course of the market. We 
may, however, place on record the fact that the area under cultivation in the year 
1913 amounted to 5310 hectares (2991 hect. in 1912), which yielded 58976 bags of 
caraway, and not as the first estimate had it, 25000 bags. 
Our trade in all varieties of caraway oil has been normal and we were unable 
to notice any decrease in the interest shown by the liqueur-manufacturers in caraway- 
liqueurs, although generally speaking it is impossible to ignore the tendency to turn 
away from the old-established, simple liqueurs, in which competition is now so heavy, 
and to take up the manufacture of specialities. As is well-known, we purify our 
caraway oils by a special process and in respect of flavour we are therefore able to 
supply the very best that can be had in the article. 
