287 



Oils and Fats. 



CITRONELLA AS AFFECTED BY METEREOLOGICAL CONDITIONS. 



Metereological conditions effect citronella plantations in a definite manner. 

 In estates situated at low elevations the oils produced are of good quality, besides 

 being greater in yield than when the same plant is grown at higher elevations. 

 My observations on this point are not quite complete, but anyway I have mentioned 

 it to invite the attention of those interested in the cultivation of citronella to this 

 highly interesting point. If we do not hereafter have occasion to change our 

 opinion we may predict that citronella grown at high elevations would give poor 

 quality oil even from the very start, and poor quantity of yield sooner or later. 

 We could not say that it is due to any difference in the soil ; if anything at all we 

 seem to think it is due to the metereological conditions obtaining at high 

 altitudes. 



This raises an important question with regard to the cultivation of citronella 

 on the patnas of the Central Province. Perhaps I may be excused if I express my 

 opinion that it would not be a success. It is well-known that the maana grass 

 of the patnas, in spite of its luxuriant growth, yields an oil which cannot be com- 

 pared with citronella oil in point of aroma, while for percentage yield it is far 

 lower in the scale. 



ADULTERATED CITRONELLA OIL. 



There is a popular belief that the low prices obtained for Ceylon citronella 

 oil are due to the adulteration of the oil. No doubt there is adulteration in the 

 citronella oil trade just as there is adulteration in many another trade. As a 

 result of several years' experience in the cultivation, as well as the business side 

 of the industry, I am inclined to believe that it is not so much the adulteration 

 about which much has been said by theorists, but poor quality due to the bad 

 variety of plant cultivated, and still more the present-day overproduction, that 

 has lowered the prices of Ceylon citronella oil. In contradistinction to this there 

 is the everyday spectacle of Java and Singapore citronella oil, which, taken to- 

 gether, do not constitute one-twentieth of the quantity produced in Ceylon, fetching 

 higher prices. This is simply because only the better variety of the plant is grown 

 there, which consequently yields a better quality of oil. 



Further, there is no accumulation of stocks of this quality of oil, so that 

 the market for the same is always firm. Not a few have their doubts about the 

 possibility of raising the price of citronella oil by exporting it under a Government 

 guarantee of purity. The Government might well leave the purity of the oil to be 

 guaged by the buyers who are not a little too particular to see that the oil satisfies 

 their test of purity before buying the oil. On the contrary, the Government might 

 do better by encouraging the cultivators of the better variety of the plant, which, 

 if done, will place Ceylon citronella oil on a par with the citronella oil of Java and 

 Singapore. I might treat on lemon grass oil on a future occasion. 



THE LONDON CITRONELLA AND LEMON GRASS MARKET IN 1905. 



Citronella has been offered now and again at the drug auctions, chiefly 

 " Fisher's," but very few sales were made under the hammer on those occasions 

 the bulk of the business done having been private, commencing early in January 

 at Is. Id. spot for Ceylon both in tins and in drums and to arrive at Is. lid. 

 ci.f., which prices have scarcely varied in the course of the year, except for 

 those to arrive which have at times been much dearer. 



Lemon Grass, too, has now and again been offered at the drug auctions, 

 with almost the whole of the business done privately as for the former, prices 

 remained practically the same all the year round, opening early in January at 

 8c£. to 8|cZ. per oz., spot and to arrive at 8d. ci.f., and closing at Is. 8cZ. spot and 

 at Is. 2fad. to arrive ca.f.— Oil Rejjorter. 



