28 Report of Schimmel §Co. April/October 1917. 



In Florida, the grass does not run into seed, only sometimes a stunted inflorescence 

 will form on old neglected plants; propagation takes place by division. A full-grown 

 plant will furnish twenty-five to fifty new plants, which must be cut down to about 

 3 inches before being planted. This is done early in spring, if possible after rain, in 

 rows 3 feet apart, the distance between the plants in the rows being 18 inches. 



The results of manuring experiments indicate that, on sandy soil, lemongrass requires 

 more potash than most of the other grasses. The analysis of the different varieties 

 showed great differences in the contents of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. 

 5 tons of one variety contained 20.32 lbs. of nitrogen, 33.20 lbs. of potash and 18.75 lbs. 

 of phosphoric acid. For manuring purposes, it is best to use potash in the form of 

 the sulphate and nitrogen must be added in organic form. The best results were 

 obtained with a manure containing 4 per cent, of nitrogen, 5 per cent, of potash and 

 8 per cent, of phosphoric acid, and of which 600 lbs. were used per acre. It is necessary 

 to loosen the soil frequently in spring and to weed carefully in summer, for a trifling 

 admixture of badly smelling weeds may spoil the smell of the oil. 



The first cut takes place four or five months after planting, when the plants ought 

 to be 2 V 2 to .3 feet high and 8 to 10 inches apart. They may be cut once more early 

 in autumn. There may be three crops in the second year. Mowing machines may 

 be used for cutting if they are adaptable, so as to cut the grass about 8 inches above 

 the soil. It is not necessary to cut the stalks too low down, as the lower parts con- 

 tain but little oil, although rich in citral. 



Drying causes only a small loss of oil, the yield being 0.37 per cent, from fresh grass, 

 0.31 per cent, from grass dried in sunshine and 0;32 per cent, from artificially dried grass, 

 calculated with regard to fresh grass; the citral contents were 77.78 and 79 percent., 

 respectively, according to the sulphite method. As shown, the proportion of citral 

 remains unaltered, but the solubility of the oil from dried grass decreased more rapidly 

 on storage than that of the oil from fresh material. 



The usual stills are taken for distillation. By cutting the grass, one succeeds in 

 getting larger quantities into the stills, but this in no way facilitates the distillation. 

 The yield may be increased by using steam of about 10 atmospheres of pressure, but 

 the oil thus obtained is darker and its citral content lower. The water used in distilling 

 contains so little oil (1.2 gram per gallon) that it would not pay trying to obtain it. 



Several kinds of lemongrass have been cultivated, belonging to the West Indian, 

 the East Indian, and the Mexican types. 



The yield as well as the citral content are strongly influenced by the quality of 

 the soil. Before deciding on the cultivation of a certain variety, one ought to make 

 sure that it is appropriate for the soil at disposal for the purpose. As as rule, light, 

 well-drained soil in an elevated position is x to be recommended. West Indian lemon- 

 grass yielded 0.31 per cent, of oil on light, sandy, elevated soil and only 0.27 per cent, 

 on low-lying land. In another case, the respective yields were 0.35 and 0.28 per cent. 



The second cut is generally richer in oil than the first; in the first year, however, 

 the second cut yields far less grass and therefore less oil than the first. 



The parts of the lemongrass which are just above the ground are richest in citral. 

 Large plants were cut into three parts: the top part contained oil with 70 percent., the 

 middle part, 78 per cent, and the bottom part, 82 per cent, of citral. The moisture of 

 the soil likewise influences the citral contents. Thus, e.g., the same Florida variety of 

 lemongrass yielded oil with 75 per cent, of citral on dry sandy soil, with 68 per cent, 

 on slightly damp sandy clay and with 66 per cent, on moist clayey soil in the neigh- 

 bourhood of a lake. 



