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brands amount to about 600 marks per kilo, whilst ordinary commercial 
oil can be bought at all prices. Nothing can as yet be said of the 
new harvest. The winter in Roumelia was very mild, and the rose- 
bushes do not appear to have suffered. 
By far the most important question for the rose -oil trade which 
at present claims attention, is the position of the Bulgarian Government 
towards the adulteration-problem, a question which has already been 
discussed so often in our Reports, and which up to now, for the most 
diverse reasons, has not yet been solved. 
On the initiative of some deputies, there has been deposited at 
the Bureau of the National Assembly a new project of a law which 
is to guarantee the purity of rose oil. According to this project every 
admixture to rose oil, of whatever nature, is prohibited under penalties, 
and that not only during distillation, but also during the sale. The 
distillation is to be carried out in common establishments under control 
of a Government official; the produced oil is stored in special premises 
connected with the Agricultural Offices. Every producer receives from 
the particular Office a voucher giving the quantity, soHdifying point, 
name of the distillation and origin of the roses, and on the strength 
of such voucher the producers will be able to obtain advances on 
their oil from the Loan Offices, or they can sell the oil to merchants 
against delivery of the voucher. Every purchaser can on presenting 
the voucher demand delivery of the oil mentioned in it. Moreover, 
the ''Caisse Agricole" gives to the purchaser a sealed note which has 
been endorsed by a notary, on which the quantity purchased and exported 
is stated. Every consignment which is exported is accompanied by 
a certificate mentioning the name of the exporter, the place of origin, 
the guarantee of purity, and the solidifying point. 
These certificates are returned by the sender within 6 months to 
the particular office, after havmg been signed by the purchaser and 
his signature legahsed. 
We are, however, informed that the Government as well as all 
interested parties are opposed to this project. It is the work of people 
who have no thorough knowledge of the article, and who do not know 
that it would be impossible to carry out such a law in practice, and 
that it would consequently be useless. 
With regard to the matter of the Government - seal to coppers, to 
which we referred last year, a commencement has now been made to 
provide rose oil with such seal. The coppers have also a label attached 
with the following inscription: Douane Plovdive - Bulgare , Provenance 
Bulgare, S. G. D. G. (sans garantie du gouvernement), A tax of 
30 centimes is levied for the seal and label. 
The utility of these measures is inexplicable to anyone who 
has a practical insight into the conditions, for the insignia are 
5 
