Feb. ,1908.] 



U5 



Oils and Fats 



port, and none of them are in favour of 

 Government interference or the adoption 

 of any new test for the following 

 reasons : — 



(o) The purchasers have been used to, 

 and know they are getting, an adul- 

 terated oil, and are quite satisfied 

 with it. 



(b) That soap-makers ray the present 

 oil answers their purpose, and it would 

 not pay them to give more for a higher 

 class oil. 



(c) One firm, owing to their attempt 

 to export a purer oil, by adopting a 

 more rigid test of their own, lost the 

 greater part of their oil business, which 

 was over 50 per cent, of the total exports, 

 and it was only when they relaxed their 

 test and accepted less pure oils, that 

 they were able to compete with the 

 other firms ; but they have not yet 

 recovered their original amount of 

 business. 



(d) Most of the orders are received by 

 cable from abroad to match a previous 

 consignment, and they would not get a 

 better price if they sent a purer article. 



6. The chief difficulty in the matter lies 

 in the fact that unless every firm agrees 

 to refuse adulterated oils, those that do 

 refuse lose business, while the other firms 

 profit in getting the native custom, as 

 the sellers naturally take it to where 

 they know it will not be rejected. 



7. Another difficulty is that there is 

 little or no time to test an oil properly, 

 as ouly a few hours are given for decision, 

 or the sample is taken elsewhere ; and as 

 urgent orders have often to be filled, the 

 merchant cannot afford to reject an oil 

 and possibly let another firm get the 

 business, especially when there is only a 

 limited supply of oil available, 



8. Messrs. Hayley & Co. would prob- 

 ably be willing to experiment with the 

 exportation of a purer oil, if it could be 

 demonstrated that a remunerative price 

 could be obtained for it, but the demand 

 must first come from the consumers, 

 who must be prepared to accept a more 

 rigid test of purity. 



9. I discussed the possibility of erect- 

 ing a refining still in Galle, but the 

 opinion was that the residue would be 

 too great to allow of its being profitably 

 worked. 



10. The actual distillers of the grass 

 are usually not the owners of the land, 

 but the stills are leased out for a pro- 

 portion of the oil, which the land owners 

 buy at the market rates. 



11. There would be some temptation 

 for the distillers to adulterate the oil to 

 increase the output and their proportion, 

 but apparently it is too expensive or 



troublesome to carry out the kerosene; 

 though it might easily be carried in the 

 returned drums. 



12, One large grower was said to use 

 spirit in addition to kerosene sufficient 

 to euable it to pass the test ; but this is 

 easily detected. 



13. I have made several further ex- 

 periments as to a test that would meet 

 all requirements, but with even pure oils 

 distilled under apparently similar con- 

 ditions the variation is such that it 

 is a difficult matter. If the oils exported 

 depended for their value on the propor- 

 tion of Citronella only, it might be 

 possible to fix a test by its estimation, 

 but this could only be conducted by a 

 trained chemist, and would take too long 

 under the present conditions of buying 

 and selling. 



11. I have also tried several fresh ex- 

 periments with the test previously sug- 

 gested by myself, and can always obtain 

 satisfactory results with samples of 

 known adulteration even up to 70 % of 

 kerosene and coconut oil ; but others 

 apparently are not so successful, prob- 

 ably owing to their not having a perfect 

 standard to work from. 



15. I would suggest 



(1) That a reliable person be employed 

 to visit a fair average number of the 

 Citronella estates, of which I have a list, 

 and purchase samples of the pure oil 

 direct from the locked oil rooms, so that 

 a fair average of the oil coming on to 

 the market could be obtained for 

 establishing a test. 



(2) That samples of these pure oils be 

 sent for valuation, and an opinion as to 

 their scenting power compared with 

 adulterated oils. 



(3) That samples of the pure crude 

 oils be redistilled and the residue estimat- 

 ed, and that the pure oils be sent for 

 valuation in the same way, but to scent 

 manufacturers as well as soap-makers. 



CSgd.) M. Kelway Bamber, 

 f.i.c, f.c.s, &e., &c. 



Mr. Bamber, writing on 9th October, 

 1907, in continuation of his investiga- 

 tions, reported as follows to the Director, 

 Royal Botanic Gardens :— 



I sent Mr. Jowitt a large still of my 

 own and different varieties of Citronella 

 grass, so as to obtain absolutely pure 

 samples for fixing a standard. 



2. Mr. Jowitt wrote me yesterday 

 that he now has several pure samples of 

 oil from several varieties of the grass, but 

 requires one more distillation to get 

 sufficient oil of certain grasses for 

 experimental purposes. 



