COMMERCIAL NOTES .AND SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION. 75 
Palmarosa Oil. As has been already stated by us, high prices were asked and 
paid for the new distillate, although, generally speaking, the declining tendency in the 
value of all geranium oils greatly diminished the desire to buy. But as next to no 
stocks were held in Europe there was nothing for it but to pay the prices asked, in 
order to make it possible to satisfy the requirements of regular buyers. The Indian 
dealers have been clever enough to come into the market with offers only at intervals, 
and for the present therefore, slight fluctuations apart, the high prices could be main- 
tained. It is impossible to say with any degree of certainty whether this will also be 
the case in the future,. because the course of prices is influenced by too many factors 
which cannot be foreseen from our point of view. Our popular Palmarosa Oil Sub- 
stitute has continued to meet with undivided approval, and at times we even found 
it impossible to execute all orders with that promptness to which our clients are 
accustomed from us. The supplies of raw material came in rather irregularly and 
we must therefore still plead for some consideration. Everything considered, we doubt 
very much whether we shall be in a position to continue to sell at the present prices, 
which leave no margin whatever for reduction. 
Parsley Oil. We have at length succeeded in acquiring advantageously some 
parcels of distilling-material of good quality, partly from Hungary and partly from the 
Hartz district, and we have thus been enabled to effect a commensurate reduction in 
prices. French seed has played no part, because the price asked for it was too high. 
We have fortunately also succeeded once more in finding a parcel of parsley seed 
containing apiol, and we are therefore at last able again to offer a little pure apiol. 
This article, which is official in France, has been unobtainable for years. 
Patchouly Oil. Although the oil-yield of the raw material was often poor, we 
have been again in a position to reduce the quotations somewhat, and by doing so 
we have secured a good deal of business. The fact that very large parcels have 
passed into the hands of middlemen is a proof that the present quotations are worthy 
of attention, for the middlemen no doubt calculate that sooner or later the market will 
assume a more favourable aspect than it has worn during the last few months. Our 
stocks are always considerable, and we are therefore able to supply our friends with 
an oil which has been properly matured. 
M. Lehmann’) has observed that samples of patchouly oil distilled from Penang 
leaves of last, year’s crop were abnormal, insofar as their specific gravity was too 
low, their rotation too slight and their solubility insufficient as compared with normal 
samples. The density fell as low as 0,95 and the rotation to —-42°; in the case of 
two samples of these oils, which were distinguished by a particularly exquisite and 
intense aroma, the values were even lower than this: d 0,935 and 0,937, a) —9 and 
— 34°. In many cases about 6 vols. of 90 p.c. alcohol were needed to make a clear 
solution. The yield also left to be desired, being in certain instances not above 2 p.c. 
Without entering into particulars, mention may here be made of an article by 
E. M. Holmes”) in which, illustrated by numerous figures, the parent plants of the 
patchouly-herbs of commerce are described, and a synopsis is given of his earlier 
publications on the subject’). 
*) Chem. Ztg. 37 (1913), 1589. — *) Perfum. Record 4 (1913), 369, 418. — *) Comp. Report April 1906, 49; 
April 1908, 79; November 1908, 95; October 1909, 92. 
