- 64 - 
by him is of little importance. It is clear that Peter only wishes to 
show that by following an unreliable method of working, inferior sandal- 
wood oils are obtained. 
On the strength of our experience extending over many years, we 
are in a position to state that sandalwood oil distilled on a large scale 
in a proper way, always answers the requirements which are nowadays 
specified for East Indian Sandalwood oil. 
Spearmint Oil. This article is at present still extremely scarce, 
and can only be had at higher prices. Up to now we have been able 
to obtain the necessary supplies of fine American distillate, but accord- 
ing to advices from America, the result of this year's distillation has 
been very small, and quotations are only made "without engagement". 
Spike Oil. The distillation will come to an end in a few weeks' 
time. The result is on the whole equal to that of last year, as the 
frost has caused a considerable amount of damage. The yield of oil, 
however, is very satisfactory. In the Card department there is a 
great lack of labourers for gathering the plants, as this work coincides 
with the vintage. For this reason a fairly large quantity of material 
remains unused. Up to now the prices have undergone no pronounced 
change, although a rise is expected, as the demand is said to be extra- 
ordinarily brisk. 
Spike oil is used to a large extent for the production of the more 
common quahties of lavender oil. 
Star- anise Oil. The value of this important article has hardly 
changed during the summer months. In May reports were current 
that the harvest of star-anise in Tonquin promised to be a very rich 
one. But these reports were soon contradicted, and a letter from 
Langson dated 26tli of May, stated that the yield of the plants had 
been much reduced by caterpillars and by heavy storms. Instead 
of the expected fall in the prices an upward movement took place. 
In China also the market is firm and prices went up from 4/- 
to 4/9 during the last weeks. 
We have already mentioned^) that star-anise oil occasionally shows 
a slight dextrorotation, whereas it is usually faintly laevorotatory. Such 
an oil has recently again been examined in our laboratory. The con- 
stants of the oil were as follows: d^^o = 0,9893; ajy == 18'; 
congealing point -|- 18°; soluble in 2 vol. and more 90 per cent, 
alcohol. It is clear from the properties mentioned that we have here 
to deal with a perfectly good, unadulterated star-anise oil, — ^ and in 
fact the reputation of the firm from whom the oil was obtained is a 
^) Gildemeister and Hoffmann: "The Volatile Oils", p. 361. 
