Oils and Fata. 



142 



CEYLON CITRONELLA OIL. 



EXPORTS FOR 1905 : REPORT ON A PERADENIYA SAMPLE. 



This important article has undergone fairly large improvements during 

 the last six months, and it would appear to us as if it had acquired now, 

 more than before, the character of an object for speculation, for the fact that 

 the production has not fallen off is proved by the high figures of the export- 

 statistics which closely approach those of the year 1902, but greatly exceed those 

 of the last two years. 



The shipments in 1905 from Colombo and Galle were :— 



To the TJnited States of America ... ... 601,706 lbs. 



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



,, Germany 



,, Australia 



France 

 China 

 India 

 Belgium 



193,331 

 60,288 

 11,925 

 10,499 

 3,645 

 2,161 



the Straits Settlements... ... ... 216 



as against: Total in 1905 ... 1,282,471 lbs. 



1904 ... 1,143,068 „ 



1903 ... 1,027,486 „ 



1902 ... 1,294,750 „ 



On the other hand, the January shipments of a total of only 19,618 lbs. show 

 such an enormous falling off, as compared with a monthly average export of 

 about 100,000 lbs., that this fact appears to explain completely the lack of avail- 

 able goods and the high price of the same. It is only natural that this should 

 influence forward deliveries, and the general situation will probably not become 

 normal again until supply and demand have adjusted themselves to some extent. 

 As already indicated above, speculators have agravated the situation by buying 

 up the available stock in Europe, a step which could be carried out with a 

 small amount of capital in view of the comparatively small quantities of oil. 



In Ceylon, the distilling already came to an end in December, and as all 

 the labourers are employed in the rice-fields in January, the work on the citro- 

 nella grass-fields came for the time being completely to an end. Stocks are 

 already cleared out, oil for early delivery is all contracted for, so that only 

 later deliveries come under consideration. It is therefore possible that the 

 position may become even more acute, and that the adjustment between supply 

 and demand will only take place when stocks have again accumulated in the 

 principal consuming countries. 



We have been able, by placing our contracts in good time, to supply 

 our clients fully, and we have also contracts running for April shipment which 

 are shortly due. 



Under these circumstances it is for the present out of the question that 

 prices will go back, much less that the values formerly considered normal will 

 again be reached. 



C. E. Sage reports on a Ceylon citronella oil distilled at the Experi- 

 ment Station established by Government at Peradeniya. 



The examination of the dark orange-coloured oil gave the following 

 results: dl5,5° 0,884, a D— 3,3° citronellal 36%, geraniol41%; Schimmel's test : the 

 oil gives with 80 per cent, alcohol only a cloudy solution. This inferior solubility 

 of a guaranteed pure oil, induces Sage to attack Schimmel's test which, as is 

 well known, consists of this, that citronella oil must form a clear solution with 



