May 2, 1898.] Biipplement to the “ Tropical Agricalturist''* 
79.9 
The Aiidropogou family of grasses which is 
fairly well represented in Ceylon includes a 
number of species containing essential oils 
with characteristic odours. Of these, the best 
known are A. luirdus, a cultivated variety, of 
which is the citronella grass grown in the 
Southern Province : A. citratus, the familiar 
lemon grass, also cultivated, though not so largely 
ns citronella, in the South : A. schoenanthus var. 
versicolor, known variously ns anise-scented, 
palmarosa, oil of ginger, and geranium grass. 
This grass is found in the north of the Island and 
is common on the Island of Delft. A good deni 
of oil (rusa oil) is extracted from it in India : A 
muricatus is the cuscus grass, the scented roots of 
which are used for making fans and punkah.®, 
and from which oil is to some e.vtent e.vtracted. 
Another well-known scented Andropogon of 
India is a A. luniyer, the Herba Schoemanthi and 
Juncus odoratus of the old pharmacists, commonly 
met wdth in AhW. India, where the oil is e.xtracted. 
The British and Colonial Druyyist of March 4, 
gtatesthat the botanical origin of lemon grass oil i.s 
a matterof some doubt, and that it is probable that 
various species of andropogon are used in its pre- 
paration. It may be that commercial lemon grass 
oilis adulterated withessential oil yielded by other 
nndropogons, but the botanical origin of true 
lemon-grass oil is by no means a matter of doubt, 
and the grass, which is so common a flavouring 
agent in Eastern cookery, is too well known to be 
confu.sed with any other species of the same 
family. We note that the demand for lemon- 
grass oil has been rising owing to the fact that 
ionone or artificial essence of violets is obtainable 
from citral, the odoriferous constituent of the 
grass. Ionone is also obtainable from essential 
oils containing geranium, while the rhizome of 
Iris ftorentia also produces a substance resembling 
the odour of violets. 
Apropos of the odour of violets it may not be 
generally known that cattle overdosed with 
turpentine, secrete through the kidneys a volatile 
product which gives off a strong scent of violets. 
Finlay Dunin his Veterinary Medicines thus refers 
to this fact under the head of “General Actions 
and Toxic Effects ” of turpentine: “Swallowed, 
it is rapidly absorbed and diffused, and may 
speedily bedetected in the chyle, breath and sweat, 
which have a strong terebiuthinate flavour, and 
in the urine, to which it imparts the odour of 
violets.” We have ourselves had opportunity of 
noting this symptom of overdosing with turpen- 
tine in a herd of calves, and been much struck by 
the peculiar phenomenon. 
We reproduce elsewhere a resume (taken from 
the Australian Tropiculturist) of the Countess 
of Warwick’s scheme for an opening for 
women in the domain of agriculture. The scheme 
is a bold one, but ns our contemporary observe.®, 
by no means beyond the range of possibility, and 
we are inclined to thiiik that the details could be 
so modified as to suit the conditions of dif- 
ferent countries and communities. With us, 
it must always be a reproach that poultry keeping 
is a neglected industry, at least as a true com- 
mercial undertaking and not merely as a pastime. 
There is, of course, a good deal of technical know- 
ledge that is necessary before a poultry farm can 
be started on proper lines, but that is no excuse 
why poultry keeping should be a neglected indus- 
try. Again, if there are difficulties in the way 
of butter making in the low country, cream 
and other milk products will command a ready 
sale ; while pig rearing is always referred to as a 
remunerative undertaking, though “clean” pork 
can be got only with the greatest (lifliculty. 
CITT.OXELLA OIL, 
We have to thank Mr, F. H, M. Corbert, Execu- 
tive officer and Home agent for Ceylon at the Im- 
perial Institute, London, for copies of the lm~ 
yerial Institute Gazette and the Pharmaceutical 
Journal containing reports on the examination of 
Citronella oil. It had been noticed by the 
trade that native distilled oils have a much 
inferior aroma to those distilled by two English 
firms, viz., Messrs. Fisher of Singapore, and 
Messrs, Winter & Sons of Baddeganvi in the 
Southern Province, Ceylon, and that these two 
classes of oils also show very marked difference 
in physical character. The impression in England 
is that there is no difference in the variety of 
grass from which the oil is obtained. The idea 
of sophistication is put aside, as the nature of the 
adulterant, if any, employed has never been 
determined. Messrs. J. C. Umney and Swinton, 
after making an examination of oils reported 
their views to the British Pharmaceutical As- 
sociation, stating that the high optical activity 
of the native-distilled oils is undoubtedly due 
to the presence of a terpene which does not 
exist, or has been removed from, the oils 
distilled by Engli.sh firms. The latter class of 
oils was found to consist principally of cam- 
phene. The experimenters conclude that the 
native-distilled oil is in no way sophisticated 
but is a genuine natural oil. The high specific 
gravity and rotatory power are due to the 
presence of constitutents which also affect the 
solubility in alcohol, and, by acting as dilutents, 
impair the odour value. 
We submitted the articles in the Imperial 
Instflute Gazette and the Pharmaceutical Journal 
containing the reports referred to above, to an 
expert in the Citronella trade, who has been good 
enough to give us his opinion on the discussion, 
which we reproduce below. It will be seen 
that the differences in the qualities of the oil 
are really due to differences in the variety of 
the grass used, of which the Eiiglish experi- 
menters do not appear to have any knowledge. 
For this reason the opinion of our correspondent 
is of special value as settling a point whicli 
has apparently been givitig rise to much mis- 
understanding - 
“ There are two methods of distillation ; 
1. Using Steam, — Here the grass is placed in 
a cylindrical ve-sel which is closed, aiul steam, 
generated in a separate boiler, is let from the 
bottom of tile vessel containing the grass; The 
steam passes upwards through the grass and in 
its passage extracts the oil. 
2. Using Fire-heat. — In this process water and 
grass are put into one vessel and distillation 
