September 2, 1889.] THF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
203 
now, because they no longer found it profitable to 
manufacture this oil. The " F & K" brand of oitronella 
enjoyed a high reputation for purity on the European 
markets, but we think we are right in stating that it 
is no longer manufactured now. Another English grower 
in Ceylon, Mr. "Winter, whose oils are equally highly 
esteemed, still continues, we believe, to manufacture 
citronella, or did so until recently, but we doubt whether 
he will be able to continue to do so remuneratively at 
the present market prices. A third very highly es- 
teemed brand is that of Mr. Fisher, of the Perseverance 
Estates, Singapore. His plantation was started some 
twenty-five years ago as au essential-oil farm, and 
covers a very large area, its production in various 
essential oils, principally nutmeg, citronella, lemon- 
grass, patchouly, &c, amountiug at one time, it is said, 
to an aggregate of 200 lb. per day. The European 
makers always command very much higher prices for 
their oils than the natives do, and if the former, 
with their superior facilities, better machinery, and 
larger capital, cmnot make money out of citronella 
any longer, it. is dear that the chanc; that the native 
giowers can turn out a pure oil at the present 
prices are very slight indeed. It is not forty years 
since citronella was first imported into this country 
for commercial purposes, and since that time it has 
become one of > he must popular perfumes, aud certainly 
by far the most extensively used iu soap-making. In 
1864 the exports of citronella oil from Ceylon had 
alre;dy attained the figure of 622,000 oz., in 1872 they 
were 1,595,000 oz., in 1881 1,761,000 oz., last season 
9,508,000 oz. and for the six months which have elapsed 
of the season now running they have already mounted 
up to 7,666,000 oz. These figures do not take into 
account the production from other sources, such as 
Singapore und Southern India, which would perhaps 
amount altogether to 15 per cent, of the Ceylon pro- 
duction. It seems certain that the increase in the 
consumption of the oil caunot hive held pace with the 
production, and stocks must therefore have accumulated 
to a considerable extent. This is probably the case in 
America more than here, as most of the citronella oil 
now takes its way to the States. It is a peculiar cir- 
cumstance that while lemon-grass oil, which is so closely 
allied to citronella in its character and the purposes 
for which it is applied, aud which has usually been 
much more expensive than citronella— its produ :tion 
being very much smaller — was actually dearer than the 
latter oil in the years between 1881 and 1885. In 1881 
or thereabouts the United States first commenced to 
use citronella oil in very large quantites, and their 
demand stimulated the production of the oil, which at 
that time must have been a very profitable article to 
the oultivators. Between 1858 and 1862 the price of 
the usual brands of citronella oil ranged from 2%d. to 
4§rf. per oz. — occasionally a little higher, and that of 
lemon-grass between 4jd. and l\d. per oz. At one 
period during 1863 the prices advanced to 1\d. for cit- 
ronella and 9d. for lemon-grass, which are the highest 
quotations on record. This advance greatly stimulated 
the cultivation of the grasses. During the last eight 
years the general range of prices, not counting occasional 
deviations, has bee i as follows: — 
1880 1881 1S82 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 
Citronella 4d. 3d. Z*<£ 2f& 1M lJcZ. lid. I d. 
Lemon-grass Qd. 2%d). 2±d. 2^1. lfd. l%d. lfd. lfrf. 
and, for citronella, still further downwards to its 
present quotation. Therd does not seem much pros- 
pect of any satisfactory increase in the market value 
of citronella oil until it has first reached a point so low 
that some of the native growers shall be absolutely 
compelled to ceaBe distilling altogether. It might be 
thought that at present that limit was already reached, 
but the shipments still continue to grow, and such 
does not therefore appear to be the case. When once 
the position has been cleared by the process of elimin- 
ating a number of people who now distil the oil, tne 
market may aguin revert to a fairly satisfactory posi- 
tion for a while, aud the European growers be able to 
obtain fair prioes for a good article. It is stated on 
good authority that there are at present soap-makers 
iu the States who consume over 1£ million ounoes of 
citronella annually, and there is consequently a large 
enough market for the article if its production is kept 
within reasonable bounds. It will be to the interest 
of the Ceylon merohants and exporters to assist in the 
suppression of the adulteration of citronella ; and for 
this purpose we hope to give further particulars in an 
early issue regarding the detection of the adulteration 
by simple means. — Chemist and Druggist. 
FEUIT CANDYING IN ITALY. 
A good deal of interest has been drawn of late years 
in fruit-producing countries, especially in some of our 
colonies, as to the best mode of preserving fruits for 
exportation. That of preserving them in syrup in her- 
metically sealed tins has been found to answer well, and 
has become very generally adopted ; but the process ok. 
candying with sugar is felt in some countries, and with 
some fruits, to be preferable, consequently enquiries are 
frequently made as to the modus operandi adopted in 
fruit candying countries on the continent, about which 
little seems to have been known out of the country where 
it is practised. 
The following account of this industry, which has just 
been drawn up by the British Consul at Leghorn, will, 
therefore, we doubt not, be of considerable interest to 
our readers, especially to those in sugar producing coun- 
tries. Mr. O'Neill says, "It would be a mistake to 
suppose that Leghorn is a great centre for this industry 
in all its branches. The candying of fruits, whole or 
cut, is carried on at many other places to a larger extent. 
At Genoa, and westward along the French Riviera, at 
such places as Grasse, this industry is carried on, and 
we know that in Spain and Portugal fruits are also can- 
died, Madeira being espically noted amongst the posses- 
sions of the latter for this manufacture. 
Moreover, upon inquiry, I find. that in this city of over 
100,000 inhabitants only seven establishments are occu- 
pied in the manufacture, and that these seven, when in 
full working, only employ about 200 hands, Leghorn can 
hardly, therefore, be considered a great centre of the 
fruit candying industry. 
It does, however, I believe, occupy the first place in 
Italy, and, perhaps, throughout the Mediterranean for 
the preparation of the candied Citron and Orange peel 
so largely used in all branches of confectionery ; for the 
Citron is brought to us for this purpose from Corsica, 
from Sicily, from Calabria, and other southern provinces 
of Italy, from Tunis and Tripoli, and even from Morocco, 
and the candied peel of the fruit is exported hence to 
North America, to the United Kingdom, and to 
Hamburg, for distribution throughout Germany. Sugar 
also is imported for the purpose of the manufacture 
from Egypt. The wood of the boxes in which the 
candied peel is packed reaches us from Trieste, and 
the immense earthenware vessels necessary for the 
saturation of the fruit in Sugar syrup are made in 
the neighbourhood of Florence. On all sides, I hear 
that Corsica produces the Citron of tne finest quality 
those of Sicily and Calabria are regarded as slightly 
inferior, whilst that which comes from the African 
coast is held in still lower repute, and, indeed, ap- 
pears to be of a different variety, being larger, and 
having a smooth instead of the rough, granulated 
surface generally characteristic of the Citron. The 
African Citron is probably somewhat deficient in the 
essential oil which forms the medical property, and gives 
the flavour to the rind. The Oranges imported into 
Leghorn, whether for consumption or for candying, are 
nearly all brought from the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, 
and Corsica. 
I shall, perhaps, convey the clearest impression of the 
treatment of the fruit, and the process through which it 
passes, if I follow it through the various stages of its 
preparation, from its arrival at this port to the moment 
of its departure hence in cases filled with boxes neatly 
packed with the cut candied peel. 
In all the countries I have mentioned above as con- 
tributing the raw fruit for this industry, it is treated in 
the same manner for the over-sea passage. The fruit is 
simply halved, and placed in hogsheads or Hvge casks 
filled with a fairly strong solution of brine, the fruit 
