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- COMMERCIAL, ‘AND SCIENTIFIC NOTES ON ESSENTIAL OILS. Zo 
a Oiready in the beginning of April these top prices were + maintained wich difficulty, 
4 hey then began to fall, slowly at first, and then rapidly, until the price of lemon oil 
stood at 12 lire. . 
“Re lemon Peeck for 1920, see p. 28 of this Report. 
Re information about adulteration of lemon oil, see p. 31 of this Report. 
Mandarin Oil plays a more important role in the essence trade during recent 
years than it formerly did, and is bought up each year by foreign countries to the 
2 last drop; hence it is an excellent commodity for purposes of speculation. 
; We find that this oil sinks in price during the production period, but as soon as 
- this is over it risés to higher prices for the rest of ae year, until the succeeding 
~ harvest again induces a temporary fall. 
‘ The increased consumption of this oil has been accompanied by an increase in price. 
i: ‘When Italy entered the World War the price of oANee oil was 10 lire, but in the 
‘same year it reached 22 lire. 
; Throughout 1916 and 1917 the price varied between 22 and 25 lire; in 1918 up to 
- April 1919 a slight weakening in price took place — lowest 17 lire, highest 21 lire. 
4 _ From May 1919 onward, the value of mandarin oil rose more. and more rapidly — 
_ May 1919, 30 lire; July, 58 lire; October, 80 lire; December, 90 lire; January 1920, 95 lire; 
: pebruaty, 100 Hie: March, 135 lire; April, 170 lire; May, 200 lire. 
..-' The: lowering of the market prices which set in in May of this year did not affect 
orange" oil, for at that time it was completely sold ont. 
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— 
4 
Re mandarin harvest of 1920, see p. 28 of this Report. 
Re ae of mandarin oil, see p. 32 of this Report. if 
Oil of Bitter Oranges has varied in price to a far less depres than ‘the sweet 
variety. 
At the beginning of 1915 its highest value stood at 4 lire, and ened Yo} throughout 
the year. 
During the first quarter of 1916 the price was cea to 9 lire, ahd with slight 
variations kept at this level till middle of November. 
_The. price remained at 10 lire throughout the year 1917: para in January 1918, a 
sinking of two lire took place. Soaring above the price of the sweet orange oil, the 
oil of bitter orange rose to 26 lire in November 1919. During the great speculation 
period November 1919 to May 1920, the price was rapidly screwed up from 30 to 90 lire. 
No prices gee than this were paid; and i pn the universal fall of prices it sank to 45 lire. 
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; _ Orange Oil, sweet.— The oil prepared in South Italy had for many year before 
_ the war not sufficed for the world consumption, this deficit was partly made good by 
_ Cuba which delivered ever increasing quantities of a lower grade, but cheaper oil. 
a Hence it is not astonishing that South Italy can yearly dispose of its total quantity 
® orange oil abroad, and that only a Oy. insignificant quantity is eamnce over from 
~- one harvest to the next. 
4 Whilst lemon oil and orange oil generally stood at almost the same price level 
in former times, yet recently this relation has changed in favour of the orange oil, 
which has acquired a higher value.~ 
