June i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
819 
Gehanium Oil. — In October last the price of 
African geranium advanced by abo it 10 per cent., 
and this increase has been fully maintained for 
the betti r brm Is. Toe stock of the latter is now 
much reduced, and the future course of the quotation 
will depend upon the yield of the firKt crop, winch 
is distilled in the month of April. It is worthy of 
note that freshly-distilled African oil, if exported in 
tins, nearly always has a pronounced disagreeable 
llavour when first opened, but this is quickly lost 
when the oil is decanted in bottles and brought in 
contact with the air. Quite recently the quotation 
for fine Spanish oil have been somewhat reduced. 
It is proposed to establish in the south of Spain a 
large distillery, fitted on the French plan, especially 
with the object of producing oil of geranium. There 
is no doubt that, iu case of only a small difference 
in price, Spanish oil deserves the preference over 
the African product. The production of geranium 
oil in C orsica does not. appear to have gained much 
ground . 
Ginger Oil. — Cheap ginger for distilling purp ises 
has been obtainable iu abundance, African giuger 
especially being frequently obtainable at very advan- 
tageous rates in Liverpool mil llnmUu-g. In ( In..., 
whence hitherto only preserved ginger has been ex- 
ported, a company has recently been formed whioh 
treats the root by special machinery and dries it 
fur export. It is said that no less than 90 per cent, 
of the weight of the fresh root is extracted in the 
form of water and starch, while the remaining 10 
per cent., which is obtained in a powdered form, 
contains tho valuable aromatic part of the root. A 
sample of the powder proved far superior iu rroma 
to all known varieties of root, and tho first large 
trial shipments of this powdered root are looked 
forward to with much interest. 
Lemon Oil. — Tho prices of the new oil in Sicily 
ruled at an advance on those paid for old oil at 
the close of the season, and owing to heavy and 
pressing orders from America a large proportion of 
the crop changed hands at full prices since the 
beginning of the year. Recently business has become 
rather slacker, and a decline in the values may not 
improbably occur with the odvent of warmer weather. 
One of the principal manufacturers is steadily en- 
gaged in elaborating a niachiue for the manufacture 
of oil of lemon, and the complete Solution of this 
problem appears likely to be realised soon. This 
wonld do away with the now largely prevailing 
Sophistication ol tho oil during the process ot squeez- 
ing it from t ie rind by hand. According to official 
Italian statistical returns the number of lemon, 
borgamot and orange trees iu Sicily is 10,115,700, 
anil in the province of Kcgio 4.211,877, yielding iu 
1885 a total of 2,320,022,000 fruits, a quantity much 
below the average. About 1,500 fruits are required 
far tho manufacture of one kilo, of essential oil. 
Lionaloes Oil. — Tho production of this oil in 
Mexico has been increased to a perfectly senseless 
degree, considering the limited consumption, and 
consignments upon consignments are accumulating 
on tho European markets. Under these circum- 
stances values have steadily fallen, without thereby 
enlarging the use of the oil to any considerable 
extent, and the exporters will have to prepare tln-m- 
-elvi s for heavy losses. Tho principal employment 
of oil of bgnalocs is iu the manufacture ol n prr- 
I utile whirli has already gone more or Ipsa out of 
fashion, and thus the fiold for consumption has 
shrunk, whilo the production has increased tenfold. 
IfATtO Ollm — Tina oil, whioh is a novelty imported 
from Japan, is probably obtained by distilling the 
tar of a variety ol birch or herch-tree. The oil is 
quite different from that yielded by the Germ in 
birch-tree. The Utter ban a s.g. of O.U06. ami con- 
tains about 40 per cent, ol ph-nol derivatives, l'ne 
part which is insoluble in alkali hoik at ITU* t> 
lISS" (between I/O- 1 and '.!"ii- about percent.) 
The h. g. of the Jupitnaxe oil is 0.075, and it contains 
I per rent, of phenols of nu agreeable k'uavaeol flavour. 
The bulk of the part iiuoluble in alkali boils below 
HQ", viz., about 40 per cent between 100 g aud 170 J , 
and 40 per cent between 170° and 180 v ) only about 
10 per cent requiring a temperature of over 200 u . 
33he low boiling parts of the oil would probably be 
worth a careful chemical investigation. 
Nekoli Oil. — The expectations that the frosts 
which have occurred in Southern France have damaged 
the orange-trees have not been realised. It is stated 
from a reliable quarter that although the tempe- 
rature has been as low, if not lower than in 1883, 
yet no evil effects of the froBt are noticeable, as tho 
young buds were not yet suflicieutly developed to 
be damaged. Only quite young plants, which do not 
yet bear fruit, and sweet oranges have suffered, and 
a normal result of the neroli crop may therefore 
be anticipated. The prices upon which the flower 
contracts have beeu based are the same as last 
year. 
Tetitorain Oil. — The high prices which were rea- 
lised by fine Paraguay oil a year ago have un- 
fortunately brought about over-production, which, 
in a short space of time, has thoroughly ruined 
the trade in this oil, and quotations have now fallen 
to a point which can scarcely leave a margin to 
the manufacturer. The consumptive capacity of the 
market for this article, it should be recollected, is 
strictly limited, and any trail 'grossiou beyond its boun- 
daries usually avenge itself. The manufacture of the 
oil, also, is no longer confined to a few persons, as it 
used to be, but quite a number of psople, mostly 
new to the business, are engaged in it. and are in 
the habit of consigning their goods, on good luck, 
to the first European market they oan think of. The 
formerly-practised adulteration of the oil with alcohol 
does not seem to be resorted to any longer, and, 
ou the whole, laudable care is now given to the 
preparation of the article. The competing French 
oil, of course, suffers greatly from the glut in the 
market. 
Rose Oil. — The plantations of cen'ifolia ro-ies in 
Germany only show to a very slight extent the 
damage caused by the severe winter, and the loss 
is comparatively uo larger than in former years. 
A few hundred rose plants of the variety cultivated 
iu Bulgaria have reached Leipzig by a detour, and 
high expectations are formed of their successful 
propagation. They will flower in the coming season, 
and it may then be judged whether they will serve 
the purpose better than the centifolia plants. The 
cultivation of roses for distilling purposes can of 
course only be resorted to with advantage iu the 
immediate vicinity of Leipzig, so that the freshly- 
gathered roses can be at once forwarded to the 
works in the morning. Meanwhile, however, the 
price of otto of rose has fnlleti so low that the 
German distilled otto, although in commerce it com- 
munis a higher price than the Turkish prticle, does 
nbt leave a profit to the distillers. German ro-e 
011 will be exhibited for tho first time at Brussels 
and Barcelona this year. The cause of the ex- 
traordinary depreciation of the Turkish oil is 
generally said to lie in the fact that the prevailing 
fashion is not favourably disposed towards the article, 
and that the enormous extent to which adulteration 
is resorted to has made people lose confidence in 
tho article. If no improvement should occur in this 
respect the future of the article may almost be 
despaired of, for if a favourable crop should come 
to reinforce fchfl stock left over from previous seasons, 
the accumulation of supplies must further depress 
the price, and even threaten the continued existence 
of the Bulgarian industry on it' pre cut scale. 
WixTKnoKEE!* Oil — During the past half-year 
prices have only s ightly varied in Am r.ca. and they 
now m;aiii approach the lowest qno'ati >ns of tho 
latter end of 1886. The action of guiltheria oil has 
recently been invesfigu'e I by II- Wood ttnil H. A. 
Harl. They found that largo doses caused violent 
irritation of the mucous membrane of the «t«moch 
and severe voiuiti"g. but no diarrhcea. P-ralvsis of 
the heart ouly occurred after ti e Injection into »ho 
blood of very large doses, and in til i rMpMl the 
effects were" weak as compared to that of other 
liqul I oils. It is surmised that the oil is entirely 
