THK  TROPICAL 
agriculturist. 
31  
take  up  or  to  pay  for  tho  oil.  Uo  clccl-.ircs  that  he  will 
wait  until  he  is  sued  hy  Mr.  Treatt,  and  then  hijn^ 
the  case  into  court. — Chtmisl  (unl  Dnuirjisi , May  1*>. 
KSSKNTIAI.  OILS. 
From  the  Semi-Annual  Report  of  Sehimmc_l  & 
(Fritzsche  Brothers),  Leipzig  & New-\ork,  lor  April 
189G,  we  extract  the  folloiving 
Cinnamon  Oil,  Ckylon.— The  demand  for  this  oil 
almost  suriiassed  the  supplj.  Offers  of  on  of  fane 
quality  were  scarce  last  fall ; to  all  appearances  con- 
siderable quantities  were  retained  in  Ceylon  m order 
to  cause  a rise  in  prices;  this  reached  -,d  per  lb., 
last  September.  Quotations  have  never  been  so  high 
since  years,  but  have  remained  unchanged. 
In  glaring  contrast  to  these  prices  stand  the  ex 
nort  L^ures  for  both  bark  (tubular)  and  chips  ; the 
total  amount  aliippad  fi'Oin  Ceylon  (G  )loiubo  and 
Gallc)  has  been ; 
Barit ; Chips  : 
lS<r,  . . 2,109,527  111.  920,190  lb. 
189-1  ..  ..  1,909,905  „ 057,720  „ 
1893  ..  ..  1,995,257  „ 067,113  „ 
1892  ..  ..  1,917,538  „ 015,155  „ 
In  London,  the  principal  market  for  both  grades, 
the  stock  of  cinnamon  was  not  larger  than  when 
prices  are  normal.  IJnder  sucji  circumstances  it  is 
difficult  to  foretell  tho  changes  for  the  rates  of  cin- 
namon oil  in  the  near  future.  The  fact  is  that  the 
demand  during  I'cceut  years  has  been  unusually  large, 
and  that  the  quantity  of  cinnamon  chips  consmued 
in  our  distilleries  amounted  to  about  tho  ninth  part 
of  the  total  shipments  during  the  year  1895.  These 
figures,  however,  when  oompared  with  the  export 
hgures  of  former  years,  do  not  justify  a conclusion 
as  to  tho  rise  of  values,  but  other  factors  must  have 
exorcised  an  iuilnonce  upon  the  cinnamon  market. 
From  an  economic  stand-point  the  rise  of  prices 
B'.ionld  not  cause  surprise,  since  those  of  the  raw 
material  and  of  the  oil  were  abnormal  ones. 
CiTuoNULLA  On..— The  xjrices  of  this  oil,  one  of  the 
mo.st  important  ones  in'  the  soap-making  industry, 
have  increased  within  the  last  six  montlis  from  Is  3d 
per  lb.,  or  marks  3.20  per  kilo,  to  2s,  or  marks  -100  per 
kilo.  As  there  has  been  no  failure  in  or  decrease 
of  tho  crotw  a real  cause  for  tho  rise  of  prices  c.aii- 
not  bo  well  ascertained. 
The  only  explanation  can  bo  found  in  the  in- 
creased use  of  the  oil,  since  the  American  and 
English  custom  of  x>crfianing  not  only  toilet,  but 
also  common  giade.s  of  domestic  and  even  of  .soft 
soaps  witli  flavors  containing  citronella  oil  seems  to 
find  general  favor.  If  this  inference  is  a correct  one, 
as  indici'.ied  by  the  following  figures,  the  present 
market  condition  of  this  commodity  may  be  consi- 
dered a normal  and,  it  may  be  hoped,  a perina- 
iient  one. 
Recent  shipments  show  a considerable  increase ; 
they  amounted  to  ; — 
1895..  ..  1,182,760  pounds  Engl, 
a quantity  never  before  attained 
1894  ..  938,471 
1893  • • 008,550  ,,  „ 
These  figures  arc  copied  from  the  official  report  of 
the  German  Consulate  at  Colombo  (Deutsches  llau- 
dels-Archiv,  March  1890,  Heft  108).  Wo  notice  wiih 
gratiricolion  that  the  figures  in  the  statistical  com- 
plications of  these  reports  are  now  stated  by  the 
pound  and  not  any  more  by  the  ounce. 
With  so  brisk  a demand  for,  and  so  large  trans- 
actions in,  citronella  oil  sophistication  has  to  be 
looked  for  and  constant  care  has  to  be  exercised  in 
the  control  of  this  subtile  oil. 
The  coarse  sophistication  of  citronella  oil  by  the 
admixture  of  petroleum  or  fatty  oils,  so  common  in 
former  years,*  lias  been  much  lessened  since  the 
public.ation  of  our  “ solubility  tost."  Tlicro  can 
nevertheless,  be  no  doubt  that  tho  quality  of  the 
commeicial  citronella  oils  lias  recently  exiierienccd 
a retrograde  tendency,  as  is  evident  from  their  bc- 
[JULY  I,  1896. 
haviour  with  80  per  cent  alcohol.  According  to  our 
statement  published  in  our  Report  of  1889,  citro- 
uella  oil  should  give  a clear  mixture  with  2 to  3 
parts  of  alcohol  containing  80  per  cent  by  vo- 
lume of  anhydrous  alcehol  ; and  this  mixture 
should  remain  clear  upon  the  addition  of  7 to  8 
jiarts  of  alcohol  of  tho  same  stiength.  A turbidity 
would  uiiicate  a sophistication;  upon  allowing  the 
mixture  to  stand  in*  a closed  vial  for  some  time, 
fatty  oil  will  settle  at  the  bottom,  while  kerosene 
will  separate  at  the  top  of  the  alcoholic  fiiiid. 
Noc  all  commercial  citronelia  oils  seem  to  stand 
this  simple  test  at  present  ; they  may  reader  a per- 
fectly clear  solution  during  the  lirst  part  of  the  test, 
but  upon  the  further  addition  of  alcohol  an  opale- 
eences  or  a turbidity  occurs  without,  however,  giving 
rise  to  the  formation  of  any  deposit,  either  at  tire 
bottom  or  at  the  top  of  the  liquid,  even  when 
left  standing  for  24  hours.  We  could  not  but 
allow  on  several  occasions  such  oils  to  pass,  because 
a sophistication  could  not  be  proved  and  better  oils 
coaid  not  bo  obtained  in  the  market. 
.1.  G.  Umiioy  in  a recently  published  paper  (Ghem. 
and  Drugg.  48  [1890 ! 356)  also  calls  attention  to 
this  discrepancy  between  different  commercial  citro- 
uella  oils  in  their  deportment  with  alcohol.  He  is 
inclined  to  believe  that  a kind  of  gnrjnnbalsam  oil 
may  be  used  as  an  adulterant.  For  this  purpose, 
however,  the  common  commercial  gurjun  oil  cau 
hardly  be  used,  nor  can  the  amount  of  any  such 
addiciou  be  considerable,  since  an  experimental  ad- 
mixture of  but  10  per  cent  of  gurjun  balsam  oil  not 
only  much  imp)aired  the  solubility  of  the  oil  iu  alco- 
hol, but  also  gave  rise  to  the  separation  of  drops  of 
the  balsam  oil  at  the  bottom  of  the  liquid,  after  it 
had  siood  for  24  hours.  Umiiey  suggests  the  acety- 
lisatiou  process  for  the  estimation  of  the  amount  of 
geraniol,  and  that  a minimum  amount  of  00  per  cent 
of  geraniol  be  required. 
^^"e  have  also  been  about  since  some  time  to  apply 
this  test  to  citronella  oil,  have,  however,  not  yet 
succeeded  in  obtaining  snllicient  material  to  form  a 
definite  conclusion,  in  all  such  examinations  and 
filial  statements  too  much  discrimination  and  care 
cannot  be  exercised  so  as  not  W'antoiily  to  disturb 
the  confidence  of  the  market. 
Just  before  closing  this  report  we  were  called  uiion 
to  certify  to  the  quality  of  a suspicious  citronella 
oil  in  the  London  market  ; on  examination  it  proved 
to  be  largely  adultered  with  petroleum  hydrocarbons 
(kerosene,  paraffine  oil).  I be  quantity  of  this  adul- 
teration amounted  to  about  00  per  cent  and  the  so- 
X)histicatioii  seems  to  have  been  committed  after  tlie 
arrival  of  the  oil  in  England. 
IjEMONtat.vss  Oil. — Sp.  gr.  0.895.  OpL  rot.— 0*^  8’ 
at  16°  ( . The  general  characteristics  of  the  Brazilian 
oil  are  identical  with  those  of  the  Uoylon  oil,  with 
the  exception  of  its  solubility  iu  alcohol  ; while  the 
latter  oil  forms  a clear  solution  with  2 to  3 parts  of 
70  per  cent,  alcohol,  the  Brazilian  oil  does  not,  even 
with  98  per  cent,  alcohol.  The  oil  was  distilled  from 
cultivated  xjlants.  In  years  with  a rainy  summer 
season  as  much  as  four  crops  can  be  cut,  in  a dry 
summer  only  three  cuts  of  the  grass  can  be  harves- 
ted. The  oil  iu  the  jilaiits  seems  to  undergo  con- 
siderable changes  ; the  quicker  the  grass  grows,  the 
lighter  is  the  color  of  the  oil  obtained  ; dried  grass 
yields  a more  or  less  dark  oil;  tlie  same  is  the  case 
when  the  grass  is  exposed  to  cold  nights  during  the 
winter.  The  yield  from  fresh  grass  ranges,  accord- 
ing to  the  season,  between  0.24  and  0.4  per  cent. 
Geuaniol  ekom  Citronella  Oil. — Tho  introduction 
of  this  tine  substance  into  perfumery  advances  slowly. 
We  have  applied  for  a patent  in  Germany  on  pure 
geraniol  as  main-body  for  the  odor  of  roses  and  of 
mignonette. 
The  remarks  in  our  last  Re^joit  on  an  inferior 
geraniol,  made  from  oil  of  citronella,  whicli  was  ot- 
tered in  tlie  American  market  have  caused  tlic  dis- 
apX>earanco  of  this  ailicle  from  the  x>rice  lists  of  the 
firm  in  question,  but  ‘‘geraniol  cliomiially  xuire, 
.‘iolublo  in  12-15  xiarts  of  50  [ler  cent  alcohol  ” has 
been  imt  into  its  place.  \S'e,  liowcvcr,  have  doubts 
about  Uie^  w sdom  of  quoting  immediately  below  this 
article  “ Geraniol  with  Rosea,  sec  Rose  Rcuuiol.’ 
