Jan.  I,  1896.1  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURtST.  45j' 
VARIOUS  OILS. 
{From  Semi-Annual  Report  of  Schimmel  cL-  Co-, 
Fritzsche  Brothers.) 
Ijeipzig  and  New-York,  Oct.,  1895. 
Cinnamon  Oil,  Ceylon.— In  conformity  with  the 
opinion  which  we  expressed  in  our  Report  of  April 
last,  an  enormous  change  has  come  over  the  niarket- 
va'ues  of  this  important  article  in  the  course  of  the 
past  few  months.  The  quotations  for  cinnamon-bark  of 
the  “ usual  assortment,”  (which  is  the  ordinary  con- 
dition of  sale  of  cinnamon  in  wholesale  quantities 
for  shipment,)  have  risen  from  8d  to  lid  per  lb., 
those  lor  cinnamon-chips,  the  raw  material  for  the 
distillation  of  the  oil,  from  2d  to  2Jd  per  Ib^  or 
about  SO  per  cent.  As  the  existing  cheap  stocks  have 
been  disposed  of,  the  finer  grades  of  cinnamon  oil 
have  in  turn  followed  the  upward  course  of  the 
market,  and  it  is  therefore  probable  that  this  long 
neglected  and  unreasonably  depreciated  article  will 
again  acquire  its  proper  position  shortly'.  The  culti- 
vation of  cinnamon  lias  been  just  as  unprofitable  in 
Ceylon  as  the  manufacture  of  cinnamon  oil.  Many 
planters  have  given  up  the  culture  and  it  is  thei'e- 
fore  impossible  to  deny  that  the  present  movement 
in  the  price  of  bark  and  oil  rests  upon  a solid  foundation. 
In  order  to  place  ourselves  in  a position  to  form 
an  opinion  of  the  quality  of  the  cinnamon  oils  of  the 
London  market,  we  caused  to  be  sent  to  us  a number 
of  original  bottles  containing  oil  imported  from  Cey- 
lon. 'The  examination  of  these  samples  convinced 
us  that  there  was  not  a single  genuine  oil  among 
the  lot,  but  that  they  were  all  largely  mixed  with 
cinnamon  leaf  oil.  The  following  brands  were  ex- 
amined , 
1.  Cinnamon  bark  oil.  N.  G.  de  Silva.  2.  Kaderana 
genuine  Cinnamon  oil.  First  quality.  Distilled  iu 
Ceylon.  3 Genuine  cinnamon  oil.  First  quality. 
Distilled  at  Ekelle.  T.  A.  Jayasekera.  Colombo,  Cey- 
lon. 4.  Charles  Mendis  Kaderana.  Purest  Planta- 
tion cinnamon  oil.  Colombo,  Ceylon.  These  figures 
clearly  show  that  none  of  these  oils  contained  less 
than  50  per  cent  of  cinnamon  leaf  oil.  We  do  not 
allege,  however,  that  this  has  been  added  to  the 
cinnamon  oil  on  purpose  ; in  fact,  it  is  more  prob- 
able that  in  Ceylon  the  leaves  and  bark  of  the  plant 
are  distilled  together,  and  that  this  is  the  cause  of 
the  inferior  quality  of  the  oil. 
C1TR0NEI.LA  Oil.— The  price  of  this  article,  after 
having  remained  at  the  low'est  level  for  several 
years,  commenced  to  advance  gradually  in  .Tanuary  of 
the  present  year  and  lately  reached  the  highest  point 
of  recent  times  with  a quotation,  in  Colombo,  equal- 
ling l/3c1,  or  1 0.30  per  lb. 
The  statistics,  w'hich  show  a very  large  export 
prove  that  the  cause  of  the  advance  does  not 
lie  in  a scarcity  of  supplies  at  the  point  of  pro- 
duction, consequent  upon  a failure  in  the  crop, 
but  that  it  must  simply  be  attributed  to  the  con- 
stantly increasing  use  of  this  popular  perfume.  In 
particular  it  is  said  that  a large  English  soap  factory 
has  recently  commenced  to  use  citronella  oil,  and  has 
entered  into  contracts  for  large  quantities  with  British 
wholesale  drug-houses.  It  is  added  that  the  latter  ex- 
perienced some  dhficulties  in  fulfilling  their  engage- 
ments with  respect  to  the  delivery  of  the  oil,  and  that, 
as  they  had  accepted  all  risks,  trusting  to  the  long-est- 
abolished  stability  of  the  quotations  they  found  them- 
selves compelled  to  pay  high  prices,  and  not  only  to 
buy  up  everything  available  in  England,  but  also  to 
secure  supplies  from  America. 
At  any  rate  it  is  certain  that  the  speculators  have 
received  a wholesome  lesson. 
Vigorously  supported  by  our  New  York  house,  vyhich 
had  purchased  very  large  quantities  of  citronella  oil  be- 
fore the  commencement  of  the  rise,  we  have  been  able 
to  fill  the  requirements  of  our  clients  without  stint 
and  at  moderate  quotations.  Careful  investigation 
enables  us  to  state  that  no  reduction  of  price  is  at 
all  to  be  expected  in  the  near  future.  Moreover, 
considering  the  increasing  consumption  of  the  article, 
which  is  strikingly  shown  by  the  export-statistics  re- 
produced below,  it  seems  to  us  impossible  that  the 
price  of  the  oil  should  again  fall  to  the  former  bottom- 
figure. 
Citronella  oil  is  now  generally  tested  in  Ceylon  ac- 
cording to  the  method  published  by  us.  That  pro- 
cess has  come  to  be  considered  authoritative  in  cases 
of  dispute.  It  was  certainly  published  just  at  the 
right  moment  for  closing  the  door  to  further  demo- 
ralisation of  the  trade  in  the  article. 
In  an  experimental  investigation  recently  made  by 
us  for  a leading  importer  of  citronella  oil,  only  one 
out  of  four  samples  stood  our  test ; the  otlier  three 
being  adulterated.  It  is  true  that  the  latter  gave  a 
clear  solution  with  from  3 to  5 parts  of  80  per  cent 
alcohol,  but  they  turned  cloudy  upon  the  addition  of 
further  alcohol,  and  caused  a precipitate  of  a foreign 
substance  at  the  bottom  of  the  flask.  This  deposit  did 
not  consist  of  petroleum,  but  probably  of  East-Indian 
Gurjuii-balsam  or  wood  oil.  An  exact  identification 
of  the  adulterant  was  prevented  by  the  smallness  of  the 
samples. 
C.A.Mi'HOH. — The  advance  iu  price  in  this  indispen- 
able  article  is  due  to  the  speculative  tactics  of  a 
London  capitalist  and  is  therefore,  at  any  rate  iu 
the  extent  it  has  assumed,  without  a solid  basis. 
The  question  whether  it  is  likely  to  be  prolonged 
muen  further  cannot  be  answered.  At  any  rate  there 
is  very  little  spirit  of  enterprise  shown  for  the  article 
at  its  current  market-rates,  aud  businesses  in  the  drug 
are  restricted  within  the  narrowest  limits. 
The  question  whether  ihe  island  of  Formosa  will 
pass  entirely  into  the  possession  of  the  .Japanese  is 
only  of  secondary  importance.  If  that  should  be  the 
case,  however,  the  Japanese  will  hold  the  monopoly 
of  the  production  of  the  article,  and,  with  their 
notorious  astuteness,  they  will  then  in  all  probability 
succeed  in  discovering  a means  of  preventing  direct 
shipments  from  Formosa,  thereby  maintaining  prices, 
if  not  at  their  present  level,  but  at  a figure  which 
will  secure  them  a liandsome  profit. 
'The  average  price  of  Formosa  camphor  during  the 
last  thirteen  months  has  been  as  follows : — 
1894  September  per  cwt.  C7s.,  1895  August  perewt.  160. 
Crude  Japanese  camphor  reached  its  highest  point 
(up  to  the  present)  in  the  middle  of  September,  when 
210/  per  cwt.  was  quoted  for  it. 
It  scarcely  requires  mentioning  that  under  the 
prevailing  conditions  no  binding  quotations  for  refined 
camphor  can  be  given. 
.JOUORE  COFFEE  ES'l’A'rFX 
'The  local  coffee  estates  are  looking  well  and 
good  pickings  are  expected  next  month.  On  Theo- 
broma  the  new  clearings  are  looking  very  well, 
especially  the  swamp.  Another  swamp  of  about 
50  acres  is  now  being  cleared  and  should  this  be 
as  successful  as  the  present  one,  it  is  hoped  the 
future  will  be  brighter  then  it  hitherto  has  been. 
Mr.  Abrams,  the  proprietor,  is  to  be  admired  for 
his  perseverance,  as  'Theobroma  is  the  only  estate  out 
of  five  originally  opened  up  in  the  Pantei  District 
still  working.  Mr.  J.  M.  Crichton,  an  old  Mysore 
coffee  planter  of  over  15  years  experience,  has 
taken  over  the  management  of  the  Pulau  Layaug 
estate.  A new  clearing  of  over  40  acres  on  this 
estate,  commenced  by  the  former  manager,  has 
been  discontinued. — S.  F Fress. 
EDRAPOLLA  TEA  COMPANY  OF  CEYLON, 
LIMITED. 
Mr.  Purler,  who  represents  fcliis  new  Company 
in  Ceylon,  Inns,  ne  nnderslaiul,  received  a tele- 
gram from  London  informing  him  that  the  Com- 
pany has  been  registered. 
A New  iNSEcricinE. — A gentleman  in  Calcutta, 
“ who  has  made  a special  study  of  the  subject,  and 
has  an  extensive  knowledge  of  the  virtues  of  Indian 
plants,”  has,  it  appears,  discovered  a “perfect”  in- 
secticide and  destroyer  of  mites  and  blights.  His 
insecticide  has  the  merits  of  simplicity,  economy, 
and  effciency,  while  it  has  the  great  advantage  of 
being  non-poisonous  to  human  beings,  horses,  dogs, 
etc.  The  new  insecticide  is  as  yet  a secret,  the  dis- 
coverer holding  back  until  he  can  make  suitfible 
terms  for  its  disposal. — Jladras  Times,  Nov.  28, 
