August i, 1888.] THF. TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
or 
EARLY MULCHING OF FEUIT TREES. 
The highly beneficial effects of mulching are now 
generally known anrl admitted by most gardeners, 
but it is seldom that the operation is carried out in 
time, to be of the great service it otherwise would be, 
as when deferred much of the moisture that might 
havo been retained in the ground has evaporated, but 
when a mu'chiug, even of a very slight nature, is put 
on, evaporation is intercepted, as the searching winds 
are prevented from acting on the surface and causing 
it to crack and gape. This being so, it will at once 
be seen how important it is to get the work done 
early, and especially is this so in the case of fruit trees 
and Strawberries, as not only does it save much time 
and labour in watering, but it keeps weeds down, and 
may be ciriied out more expeditiously now, than when 
Strawberries, get more forward, as the foliage spreads 
more then, and the stems are borne down by the 
weight of the fruit. As the lays on the mulching, the 
most suitable thing to use is clean straw, or fresh stable 
litter, which latter, if applied now, becomes washed 
and sweetened by the rain and air, and is not object- 
ionable in any way when the Strawberries are ripe. 
Where Fern or Bracken can be obtained, and slugs 
are troublesome, that forms perhaps the best of all 
protectors, as it breaks and splinters up, forming very 
sharp edges and fine pointed ends, against which the 
slugs cut or pierce themselves, and soon beat a retreat. 
Bracken has also another advantage in that it lays 
lightly and dries quickly, which is much in favour of 
the Strawberries, which, on an unsuitable bed, soon 
taint from mould, and rot if the night dewa be heavy 
or the weather we*. Market Growers and others near 
towns often use tan, which getierally may be got for 
a mere nominal sum, and a very good mulching it is, 
but when done with it should be all cleared off the 
ground, as to dig it in is harmful till it has become 
decomposed. As to the fruit tree, half-rotten manure 
answers well, but almost auy rubbish may be given, the 
chief object being to shade the land ; and prevent 
any washing when water is given. In regard to Peas 
and Scarlet ltunners, tbe-e should always have a good 
mulching along each side of the rows. For flower-beds 
coconut-fibre is most excellent, and may be had cheaply '. 
and leaf-mould and old Mushroom-dung are both ex! 
ceilent for the same purpose, and good afterwards fo r 
forking into the ground.— J. S. — Gardeners' Chronicle- 
4 . 
NOTES ON ESSENTIAL OILS, &c 
Abstracted from the April Report of Messrs. Schimmel 
and Co., Dresden. 
Eucalyptus Oils: — It is stated that the demand for 
the oil of Eucalyptus amygdalina has decreased siuco 
it has beeu recognized that it contain no eucalyptol, 
although its production is increasing, it being now dis- 
tilled in New South Wales and Tasmania. On the 
other hand the demand for oil of Eucalyptus Globulus 
increases, and Algeria is said to be taking place as 
the principal source. Oil equal in quality is received 
from California, where it is produced in large quautity 
as a bye-product by the "Downer Boiler Incrustation 
Preventive Company." In addition to the manufac- 
tured oils imported into Germany, it is thought proba- 
ble that it will be found possible to distil it profit- 
ably from Eucalyptus (1/olnUus leaves from South 
France and Africa. The oil obtaiued in a first distill- 
atiou corresponded in its general properties with the 
commercial French and Calif ornian distillates, but the 
distillation of it yielded some interesting information. 
This nil showed a specific gravity of 0 - !)25 and was 
doxtrogyre ( +."><-•). The specific gravity of the com- 
mercial varieties referred to varies between 0'91G aud 
(f 926, and though they are always dextrogyre, their 
rotatory power varies between l'S° and Six 
commercial samples examined varied from 60 to 70 
I'er gent, in the amount oi eucalyptol they contained, 
mid as eucalyptol is optically inactive, tiiis property 
Might he utilised in judging the quality 1.1 an oil 
lu distilling tho leaves of KucalyptiU Globulus alde- 
hydes of the fatty acids were observed ; the presence of 
raleraldehyd wus determined with ceitainty, and ap- 
parently butyraldehyd and probably capronaldehyd were 
also present. The greater part of these bodies was 
dissolved in the distillation water, but the raleraldehyd 
could also bo detected in the oil ; it was also present in 
two commercial samples of the oil. Messrs. Sehimmel 
state that the oil of Euctlyptus amygdalina differs from 
all other eucalyptus oils known to them and contains 
probably scarcely any oxygenated constituents ; it more 
likely consists of at least one well-characterized terpene 
(C,,,H,o) and possibly a small quantity of cymol. 
Its specific gravity is 0 890, it boils practically between 
l70o and ISO 3 and is hevogyre. Observations on threa 
different samples gave in j 100 m.m column a rota- 
tory power of —27°, — 26'4" and — 28'0 U ; consequently 
this property allows of it being easily distinguished 
from the dextrogyre oil of Eucalyptus Globulus. Messrs. 
Schimmel have beou favoured by Mr C. T. Staiger, of 
Brisbane, with samples of a series of oils from specie* 
of Eucalyptus which were shown at the Colonial and 
Indian Exhibition These appear to be the same as 
those Exhibited in the Queeuslaud Court and reported 
on in this Journal fPharm. Jouvn, [3], xvii. , 142;, bat 
in some respect* the information given iu Messrs. Schim- 
mel's preliminary report on the specimens varies from 
or supplements that which has already appeared. The 
oils, eight in number, were from the following 
species : — 
1. Eucalyptus Bayleyana.— Strongly resinified ; Bp. 
gr. 0-940 ; 'boils between 160° and 185°. 
2. Eucalyptus microcorys. — Strongly resinified ; sp. 
gr. 0 935 ; boils between ' ISO"' and 200°. 
3. Eucalyptus niaculuta, var, citriodora. — Sp. gr. 
0 905 ; boils from 209° to 220°. 
These thr e oils are very similar to one another. 
They posstss a magnificent melissa-like odour, which 
especially in the oil of E.dealbafa is manifest in a 
surprisingly fine and rich bouquet. It is thought 
they will prove to possess extraordinary practical 
value. Cln-mically the three oils are quite charac 
teristic. Neither of them contains a terpene, but 
they consist of a ketone (Clo H16 O), smelling 
like melissa, and a body that is probably an alcohol 
(O10 His O ?), which possesses a beautiful odour 
resembling that of geranium. 
6. Eucalyptus Stai</eriana — Sp. gr. 0'880 ; boils 
from 170° 'to 230.° 
7. Backkousia citriodora. — Sp. gr. 0 900 ; boils from 
223° to 233°. 
Both these oils are distinguished by an intense 
odour of lemon or verbena, and for the Backkousia 
oil especially there is probably a future. The most 
important constituent of the two oils is a ketone 
(C10 Hia O?) with a strong pure lemon odour. 
E. Staijeriana contains a considerable quantity of a 
sorpeue, whilst that of Backhousia citriodora appears 
to consist principally of the previously mentioned 
ketone. 
8. Eucalyptus hmmastoma.— Specific ^r'vity 0-890 
boils from 170° to 250". This oil differs from all 
other described eucalyptus oils, and has an odour 
resembling that of enmin oil. It contains terpene 
and cymol, and among the oxygenated compounds 
is one having a peppermint odour, probably meu- 
thon. 
From the foregoing statements it is evident that 
the oils of eucalyptus manifest great diversities in 
properties aud character, probably exceeding those 
of the oils of any other genus. — Pharmaceutical 
Journal. 
**> 
DISEASE OF COCONUT PALMS IN THE 
WEST INDIES. 
(From tho Bulletin of the Jamaica Botanical Dejtartmtnt.) 
The following article appeared in the Kuroptnn 
Wail, 1st July 1886, and as it sums up what had 
been done to that date, may be usefully reproduced . 
The growing of coconuts is fast becoming a large 
industry in the \Y est Indies, and we find that Jamaica 
exports about three millions annually, while the ex- 
ports of Trinidad are about teu millions. The export 
value of the coconut industry iu these two islands. 
