Jan. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL AGEIC¥LTUEIST. 
ESSENTIAL OILS FROM CEYLON. 
IN THE GERMAN MARKET. 
{From the Semi-Annual Report of Schimmel and 
Co., (Fritssclie Brothers,) Miltitz neixr 
Leipzig, October 1901.) 
Since the publication of our last report, important 
changes in the eoonoraio condition of Germany have 
been developing, changes which are casting their 
shadows ahead, and are muking their inflaence fell 
on the general state of affairs. In the front rank 
appear the new Customs Tariff and the Commercial 
Treaties with other countries. With regard to our 
own line, after exertions extending over several 
decades, the general desire to exempt the various 
seeds, such as anise, coriander, fennel and caraway, 
which are used in the manufacture, has at last been 
taken into consideration. It is pioposed to admit 
these seeds in future free of duty tor the distillation 
of essential oil, subject to an official permit and 
control. But in order to render this concession of 
real value to our industry, it is necessary that the 
residues of the distillation should be left to the 
manufacturer and not (as is the case with spices) that 
they should be required to be destroyed. These resi- 
dues namely are dried, and form a valuable food for 
cattle. Successful competition with abroad is only 
possible if, in addition to the duty saved, these 
residues can be turned to account. On the other hand, 
it cannot be denied that the essential oil may only 
partly be abstracted from these seeds, and that the 
latter may be subsequently dried, with the view of 
using them dishonestly for mixing with normal 
qualities of seed. 
For this reason it is necessary to grind or crush 
these seeds before the distillation ; they should, more- 
over, be completely exhausted in the distillation 
process, so that it may be possible to exempt them 
from duty when worked up into food for cattle. We 
have no doubt that the proposals made by us, which 
meet both cases, will be accepted, and that this con- 
tentious point may thereby be settled once for all. 
But, as nothing has been inserted in the draft Tariff 
without 0, quid pro qm, the import duty on the seeds 
mentioned above — in so far as those seeds are not 
used for the preparation of essential oils — has been 
raised from 3 marks to 4 marks per 100 kilos, and that 
on essential oils from 20 marks to 30 marks per 100 
kilos. The last-named increase is not only injurious 
to the German middleman, but has also the effectof 
raising the price of a large number of foreign essential 
oils which are indispensable for the home manufacture 
of perfumes and soaps. 
Camphok Oil. — An important change in this Japa- 
nese product is highly probable in the near future. 
The Japanese Government, encouraged by the results 
of the camphor monopoly, has j;iven notice of its 
intention to stop the sale of camphor oil altogether, 
and to undertake itself the working up of the oil into 
its different constituents. It will soon be known whe- 
ther the Japanese Government actually realizes the 
hoped-for profit, or whether it has not largely over- 
estimated the consumption of safrol. In our opinion 
the working up of camphor oil, as an independent 
industry, can never be made to pay. In the two 
by-products " Desinsectol " and " Inseotol " it may 
be possible to recognise two old friends, viz., light 
and heavy camphor oil. As, however, neither is 
soluble in water, the information given above as to 
the dilution of the former with water needs scarcely 
be taken seriously. 
Cai<d.\mom Oil. — The Ceylon cardamom oil men- 
tioned in our price-lists is no longer made by ua 
from the fruits of Elatteria Cardamomum var. /3, but is 
now distilled from the seeds of another species from 
which the pericarp has been removed. As the aeed is 
shipped from Ceylon under the name of ' cardamom 
seeds,' the designation ' Ceylon cardamom oil ' is quite 
justified for this oil. It differs, however, from the oil 
previously supplied by ua according to various deter- 
60 
minations our present Ceylon cardamom oil has ap- 
proximately the following constants ; specific gravity 
at 15°, 0.9336 ; optical rotation + Si*^ ib' ; saponification 
number 109. The oil makes a clear solution with three 
parts by volume of 70 per cent alcohol. 
Cinnamon Oil, Ceylon.— Since the date of our last 
report the price of fine cinnamon chips has under°-on9 
a further important reduction, and along wit{i itlilso 
the quotation of the distillate, which we were the first 
to produce, now some 27 years ago. At that time the 
price of cinnamon chips was about 176 marks per 100 
kilos ; now it is about .55 marks ; the imported oil cost 
then about 220 marks, whilst its present quotation ia 
about 70 marks per kilo. 
CiTRONELLA OiL.— Contrary to all calculations the 
value of this leading article has goue back srill further 
in the course of the last six months. It has now 
reached a level which would have been considered 
scarcely possible. This points to a considerable over- 
production of this oil also, an over-production which it 
ia impossible to stem by ordinary means, and it will 
therefore be necessary to wait until this unhealthy 
state corrects itself. It will be remembered that 
already several years ago, when the price was 1/- per 
lb., the Ceylon papers described the distillation as 
wholly nnremunerative, and shortly before the publi- 
cation of our April report we were informed from 
Galle, that in many districts in Ceylou the citronella 
cultivation had been entirely given up. If, in spite 
of this, the prices have declined about 20 per 
cent, this fact throws a very peculiar light on those 
statements. 
The shipments from Colombo and Galle w^re as 
follows : — ' 
From 1st January to Ut July 1901 ... 034 60S 
do do l;iOO aOa'fiU 
do do 1899 .. 657,(180 
do do 1898 .. 6I6,T,S1 
The first-named amount is made up as follow" — 
lb. 
United Kingdom ... 374,607 
America ... ... 1,38,749 
Australia .. ... 2^304 
Germany ... .. 110.373 
France .. ... 2 399 
India .. .. '174 
China and Singapore .. 1,582 
Austria ... ... 4 420 
Total 
-634,608 lb. 
_ A considerable increase is shown in the sale of the 
fine Java citronella oil, the quality of which has so 
far remained the same, and which has a con<;tantlv 
increasing number of friends. Several large consu- 
mers who used to employ exclusively Oeyloii oil, have 
gone over to the product from Java, and appear to find 
it worth while. For the better quality soaps only 
Java oil should be used, and the proportion be reduced 
by one half as compared with Ceylon oil. 
Sandalwood Otl (East Indian i— The use of this 
oil, botti in medicine and in perfumery, makes such 
rapid progress, that we found it necessary to make 
special arrangements in our new Works for the 
manufacture on a large scale, which arrangements 
have answered exceedingly well. The distillation 
process has not only been considerably shortened, 
but has also beeusonmoh improved from a technical 
point of view, that thv. product may now be said to 
have reached the higher^t pitch of perfection. The 
runaours about the monopoly, which were circulated 
m London early, in the year and caused a "reRt 
sennation, have not been confirmed, -bnt, on ti e 
contrary, have been officially contradicted. 
Gerakiol prom Citronella Oil — (Gprm'an Patent 
No,;76,43.'=i.) Since the completion of our new factoripq' 
the manufacture of this p»oduct has now eni, , „ 
upon another stage, and we hone in a short timp 
to be at last able to keep it in stock. lu view of 
the difficulties met with in the supply of palmarosa 
Oil, geraaiol wUl be callea upon tp play a more im 
