140 



OILS AND FATS. 



Lemongrass and Citronella in Ceylon. 



By Ivor Etherington, 

 During the last three years the export of Ceylon citronella oil has gradually 

 advanced in quantity, although the total export has not reached the figures of 1902, 

 when 1,294,750 lbs. were shipped from Colombo and Galle, The total output for the 

 last four years has been 



1902 - ... ... - 1,294,750 lbs, 



1903 ... - ... ... 1,027,486 „ 



1904 ... ... ... ... 1,133,068 „ 



1905 ... ... ... 1,282,471,, 



The chief purchasing countries are the United States, which leads easily, the 

 United Kingdom, Germany and Australia, and 1905 exports to these countries were :— 



U.S. America ... ... ... 601,700 lb. 



United Kingdom ... ... ... 398,700,, 



Germany ... ... ... 193,331 ,, 



Australia ... ... ... 60,288 ,, 



France took 11,925 lbs. and China 10,499 lbs. 



Curiously enough there was a small export of 216 lbs. to the Straits Settle- 

 ments. In this connection we may state that planters in the Malay Peninsula are 

 turning their attention to lemongrass as a suitable catch crop for rubber planta 

 tions. Over there they seem more desirous of intercropping young rubber than 

 Ceylon men as a rale are, and lemongrass answers requirements very well. But 

 lately quite a number of Ceylon planters have been enquiring for roots of lemon- 

 grass for propagation purposes to try it as a catch crop in young rubber clearings. 



It is useful as a catch crop as it gives the first harvest after six months, being 

 propagated from cuttings. It has been found at Peradeniya that the lateral root 

 system of Hevea rubber spreads one foot each year on the average ; that is a circle 

 2 feet in diameter round the tree is occupied the second year, one 3 feet in diameter 

 the third year, and so on, so that in rubber planted 10 M 10 feet the root systems meet 

 and occupy the ground in five years. Lemongrass can be grown down the rows 

 between lines of rubber trees without interfering with the rubber roots, and as 

 the plant dies down in three years, and has then to be freshly propagated for further 

 growing and extensions, it is very suitable as an early catch crop in the plantation. 



Interest has been aroused in lemongrass and citronella at one or two of the 

 monthly meetings of the Ceylon Board of Agriculture, when papers on the subject 

 have been read by Mr. Wright and Mr. Samaraweera. At Peradeniya further 

 work has been done with lemongrass oil, and the results may be of importance. 



Acting on suggestions thrown out by the London chemists, Messrs. Sage 

 and Harrison, Mr. Herbert Wright has been preparing lemongrass and citronella 

 oil according to their requirements. Samples of these oils will be prepared, as 

 stated recently before the Board of Agriculture, and sent to London, each sample 

 bearing a label stating the guaranteed percentage of essential ingredients— citral, 

 geraniol, and citronellal— and their physical properties. The oils have been 

 subjected at the Experiment Station to refining processes. The refined oil is of an 

 exceeding pale yellow green colour, and never partakes of that deep claret-like 

 colour of the crude oil. Samples of this refined oil were exhibited at the recent show 

 of the Colombo Agri-Horticultural Society side by side with unrefined lemongrass 

 oil for purposes of comparison. 



