— 54 — 
which is much inferior in aroma and density to the Tuscan variety, and 
which is not suitable for distillation, yet found a ready sale for the more common 
industrial purposes, and on account of its lower price, especially in America. 
Our chief pourveyor in Florence reports as follows : — 
Stocks of Florentine root end of February 1903 about . . . 930 tons 
Shipments since then up to end of August about 37o 
Present available stock from previous harvests about 560 tons. 
The total shipments during the twelve months from September 1902 to 
August 1903 amounted to about 840 tons, against a maximum of about 1000 tons 
in previous years. The average annual shipments, and consequently also the 
world's average annual consumption of Iris Florentina amounts, according to 
our observations, to about 900 tons. The yield of the new harvest, which 
commenced a short time ago, cannot as yet be determined; the estimates range 
from 700 to 1000 tons, of which the former allows for a (hitherto still prob- 
lematical) diminished gathering of roots which become mature, whilst the latter 
represents the actual available total quantity of ripe roots. The producers say 
that they will only gather the three-year old roots, by means of which they hope 
to influence the course of the prices in their favour; but experience has repeatedly 
shown, especially in November 1902, that an improvement in the prices undoubt- 
edly leads to an increase in the result of the harvest, and to a correspondingly 
larger planting out of new roots. The harvest commences in the second half 
of August and lasts until the end of October, — in favourable weather even 
into November; — after that further harvesting and especially trimming becomes 
impossible. 
It is clear from the foregoing that a reliable estimate of the result of the 
harvest cannot as yet be made, but if we take the low quantity of * 700 tons 
and add the old stocks, as above 560 „ 
we arrive at a total quantity of 1260 tons, 
which would therefore be 360 tons more than the world's annual consumption. 
The prices of good assorted roots moved as follows: — 
assorted roots pickings 
1902 Sept./October 38 to 44 marks 35 to 40 marks ] , 
-»-r ,-T-x 1 o I all per 100 JkiIos 
" Nov pecember 44 „ 42 „ 40 „ 38 „ Hamburg. 
1903 Jan./August 42 „ 36 „ 38 „ 34 J 
In roots of the new crop of which, as it is somewhat late, no large 
quantities have as yet come on the market, a few small transactions have taken 
place at the parity of 
35 marks cif. Hamburg for assorted roots 
30 „ ,, „ „ pickings. 
No large transactions have so far been made, as the majority of the 
producers are not yet prepared to fall in with the wishes of the purchasers 
who, in the absence of export-orders, do not seem wiUing to go beyond the 
last-named prices. The bulk of the harvest, as is well known, is placed on 
the market in September and October, and in comparing an available total 
quantity of 1260 to 1560 tons 
with the world's annual consumption of 900 tons, 
it is probable that the owners and producers will have to give way, unless 
larger orders from abroad should bring about a temporary improvement in the 
quotations. 
As long as the producers, as hitherto, only work for their own benefit 
with fine words, instead of agreeing upon a general reduction in the planting 
