A7a^arryP.907m'}  Correspondence.  39 
Ptlea  Oil. — The  still  unnamed  species  of  Pilea  from  which  this  oil 
had  been  distilled  belongs  to  the  Urticacese,  a  family  whose  members 
had  not  up  to  the  present  yielded  an  essential  oil.  The  water-white 
very  mobile  oil  had  a  turpentine-like  but  not  disagreeable  odor. 
It  contains  a  small  quantity  of  pinene,  but  it  is  still  undecided  what 
the  bulk  of  pilea  oil  consists  of. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
CULTIVATION  OF  LICORICE.1 
My  Dear  Dr.  Kraemer:— While  the  importance  of  licorice  root 
as  an  article  of  commerce  in  this  country  is  well-known,  there  has 
been  but  little  opportunity  to  become  directly  informed  respecting 
the  plant  itself,  at  least  until  within  a  very  recent  period. 
Growing  wild,  over  vast  areas  in  its  native  (and  distant)  countries, 
we  have  accepted  what  has  been  sent  to  us  as  all  licorice  root,  and 
a  plant  with  its  parts  in  their  entirety  by  which  an  accurate  study 
could  be  made,  has  been  almost  impossible  to  obtain. 
My  father,  as  you  know,  was  most  deeply  interested  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  subject,  and  having  observed  for  himself  on  the 
spot  all  the  various  processes  through  which  the  root  passes  from 
digging  to  final  shipment,  it  became  his  conviction  that  could  the 
root  be  grown  in  this  country,  there  would  be  not  only  a  very  great 
benefit  to  the  consumers,  but  also  a  new  industry  provided  which  in 
due  time  would  prove  a  source  of  profit  to  the  grower. 
For  the  purpose  of  studying  the  plant  at  close  range,  he  obtained 
a  number  of  cuttings,  a  few  of  which  were  planted  in  the  yard  of  our 
home  ;  the  average  city  back  yard  is  not  calculated  to  afford  the  best 
conditions  under  which  to  introduce  and  nourish  a  new  plant,  so  far 
removed  from  its  usual  surroundings,  but  being  hardy  by  nature,  it 
was  thought  that  if  it  showed  any  tendency  to  grow  under  such 
unfavorable  conditions,  much  could  be  reasonably  expected  of  it 
when  propagated  with  care,  in  soil  adapted  to  its  needs. 
1  This  communication  was  received  some  weeks  ago,  as  also  the  specimen  of 
licorice  plant,  grown  by  the  late  Henry  N.  Rittenhouse,  which  has  been  added 
to  the  collections  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy. 
