LEMON OK ASS OIL. 
Lemon grass oil, distilled from t he grass known as Andropogon 
citratus, was formerly one of the few peculiar Singapore pro- 
ducts. Ceylon and Singapore held f.ne market. Ceylon oil, how 
ever says the Chemist and Druggist, .as quite left the market, 
and little comes from Singapore. In J ai • nary, there was a thi eat- 
ened famine of the oil in England, and prices would have risen 
verv high had not unexpected supplie arrived front Cochm in 
Malabar. It is much to be regretted y at an important manu- 
facture ilike this should be lost to the S aits, and it is all the 
mo - e remarkable since at the time tha l die product was com- 
manding an unusually high price the .Singapore supply was 
dwindling away. A few years ago Lemon grass oil was consr 
dered only fit for scenting the cheapest hair oils and soaps an ^ 
was priced at i \d. to ij d. per oz„ but it vas discovered that it 
contains a larger proportion of citral (the odorous puncipal of 
oil of lemon) than any other oil, viz., 73 P e «' “ nt ';, as 7 
per cent, in lemon oil, and it is now employed m the manufac- 
ture of Ionone or Artificial Violet. Lemon grass oil in 1896-1897 
went up from 2 \d. per oz. to 8d, and is now rod. per oz. I ns 
high prfce has produced considerable adulter ation, and it is pom - 
ed* out that should lemon grass oil go say to 1-6 .per 
perhaps pay to make citral from geramol, a body existing mo 
of geranium and otto of roses. The export to London amount- 
ed to 3 ooo cases, each case containing from 2 1 to 23 oz. .,0 tbs 
the X of the export for the year taking an average^as 
/i 443. There certainly seems room foi ire distillation ol 
essential oils here. Citronella still holds a ve, v fan ■ price. Ve - 
ver can easily be grown and should pay. Cajuputi, the 
common Gelam tree would need no cultivation, as Malacca 
could supply an unlimited quantity. Fa- iouIi oil needs 
recommendation, the dried leaves being now ugher in p «ce tna 
usual, while Cananga, Ngai camphor (Blumea bals<imtfera), 
■ Basil and Champaca flowers would certainly be worth the at 
tention of the distillers. 
CITRONELLA OIL. 
Since writing the above note on Lemon Grass Oil, an impor- 
tant paper on Citronella has appeared in the Chemist and Drug- 
gist o Nov. 12, 1898. Citronella oil is used Imost wholly as a 
perfume for toilet soaps and the consumption s increasing every 
vear Ceylon exports this year i,i 7 4,2°5 from an . a . r . ea of 
from 40 to 50 thousand acres. The grass gr.,ws on the hillsides 
and requires practically no attention until the harvests come 
round. q There are two harvests— one m ju y and August and 
the other in December to February. It is c it and bundled by 
women and taken to the distillery, a plan of which, very simple 
in structure, is given. 
