RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ESSENTIAL OILS 311 instead. Soon, however, it became apparent that the Guatemalan oils could not compete with those from the Far East, which were at that time produced with coolie labor and offered at abnormally low prices (substan- tially below $1.00 per pound). It was only with the outbreak of World War II that the situation changed fundamentally and became most favorable for the producers in Guatemala. Java, until then the principal supplier of citronella oil, was conquered by Japan, and general shipping difficulties interrupted the arrival of lemongrass oil from East India. Prices of both oils rose to an all-time high of about $5.00 per pound on the American mar- ket, and many landowners in Guatemala went into the cultivation and dis- tillation of citronella and lemongrass, with a large production of both oils. The boom lasted for some years after the war even as late as 1951 Guate- mala produced more than 1,300,000 pounds of citronella oil. Then, all of a sudden and quite unexpectedly, Formosa appeared on the world market as a very heavy supplier of citronella oil, and this at prices absolutely ruinous to the Guatemalan growers. In 1953 production of citronella oil in Guate- mala fell to about 150,000 pounds, with the once beautifully kept fields falling into neglect and overgrown with weeds. A similar, though not quite so drastic, development took place with lemongrass oil, despite the fact that the Guatemalan oils were of selected and guaranteed quality, shipped by The Essential Oil Producers' Association in Guatemala. At the same time the growers suffered grievously from the "agrarian reforms" enacted by the pro-communist government of President Arbenz. One law, for example, permitted agricultural laborers to take over and subdivide any land that was not under actual cultivation. As a result aggressive and misled peons invaded fields planted with lemongrass and burned down the crop simply to claim the land as not under cultivation. It was a reign of intimidation and terror. Wages of farm labor increased to such an extent that produc- tion became entirely unprofitable. Owners no longer dared to visit their own plantations weeds and insect pests (spittle bugs) inv,tded the fields, and the productivity of the once well-managed citronella and lemongrass plantings declined sharply. Some large plantations were burned, many were abandoned. Fortunately the situation took a turn for the better in 1954, with the overthrow of the Arbenz reign. Landowners could once more look after their fields, and at the same time prices of both oils on the world market rose substantially, allowing the producers a fair profit. Under these circum- stances many new citronella and lemongrass plantings were started in 1955 with a substantial crop coming in this year (1956). Guatemala offers good possibilities for the production of tropical essen- tial oils, provided that prices on the world market are sufficiently high to encourage landowners to go into this sort of venture. Otherwise, they will grow other more profitable crops.

312 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS Haiti One of the most striking developments in the essential oil field is the recent emergence of Haiti as an important producer of oils, a development made possible chiefly through the pioneering work of Senator Louis Dejoie in Port-au-Prince. Prior to World War II the production of essential oils in Haiti was slight, but now the island supplies annually almost 90,000 pounds of oil of Atmyris balsamifera, also called West Indian sandalwood oil. The quantity could be increased largely for at least ten years, i.e., as long as the supply of wood lasts. The tree grows wild in several parts of the island. Furthermore, Haiti now produces per year a little more than 100, 000 pounds of vetiver oil, i.e., more than the entire production of the rest of the world (R•union, Java, Brazil, etc). In other words, within the past fifteen years Haiti has become the largest supplier of vetiver oil in the world, and the Western Hemisphere is now independent of the earlier sources. The Haiti oil has an odor somewhat different from that of the R•union or Java oils, but it is an excellent source for the isolation of vetiverol. Another oil produced now in Haiti in substantial quantities is lemongrass. Average annual figures have been 90,000 pounds, but existing distilleries could take care of 200,000 pounds, if plantations were expanded accordingly. In general, Haiti is not interested in producing lemongrass oil unless prices of the oil are at least $1.35 per pound c.i.f. New York. For this reason no oil was produced within the past two years. Aside from the above-mentioned oils, Haiti now supplies per year about 25,000 pounds of distilled lime oil and 10,000 pounds of petitgrain oil. Experimental work is being conducted on the cultivation of geranium (R•union type), ylang ylang, Mentha arvensis and Mentha piperila, all of which seem promising. The first experimental lots can be expected in one to two years. Altogether Haiti has made great progress in the essential oil field. Crops are supplied by a number of small growers, and processed in Senator Dejoie's two large distilleries. One of these, the largest and most mode?n 'in all the tropics, is located in St. Michel its twenty-two stills process chiefly lemongrass. Senator Dejoie's other distillery is located in Ducis it holds twenty-three stills and processes mainly vetiver root. A third large distillery has recently been constructed in Port-au-Prince. There are a number of other distilleries of small capacity distributed throughout the growing regions, serving for the production of lime oil, petitgrain oil, etc. Italy The dreaded mal secco, a virus disease, which a few years ago threatened to wipe out Sicily's old established lemon groves, has lately been brought under control. Although no specific remedy has been discovered, the