Huon Pine Wood Oil

#### Huon Pine Wood Oil. A tree, **Dacrydium Franklinii, **which is probably a native of Tasmania, has been introduced in several other countries thousands of miles away from its homeland. With its very insect-resistant and useful lumber for furniture, ships and floorboards, etc., the tree is now cultivated in New Zealand, Borneo, Malaya, Indonesia, South America, etc. Distillation takes place in Tasmania, but not regularly. The wood sawdust, shavings, etc. are steam distilled to yield a pale yellow or reddish-brown liquid of a faintly sweet, woody-spicy and somewhat bitter odor, reminiscent of cedarwood, Texas. Huon pine wood oil was used during World War II as an insect repellant (it contains over 95% methyl eugenol), but the oil caused too many cases of skin irritation, and it was abandoned for this particular purpose. The oil may serve as a natural source of methyl eugenol, but with the abundance of clove leaf oil at floor level prices, a production of **Huon**** ****Pine Wood Oil **is not economically attractive. The oil could be used as such as a modifier in woody perfume bases where the sharp, cedar-like note is not out of line, and where a rich, tea-like, herbaceous-woody undertone is wanted. For this type of perfume effects, the essential oil of Melaleuca Bracteata (see monograph) is preferable, and its odor is much more delicate. As a strange coincidence, the latter oil is a native of Australia; thus, we find the two strongest methyl eugenol carrying essential oils originating in this area. It is very likely, that **Huon**** ****Pine**** ****Wood**** ****Oil**** ****will**** **slowly disappear from the market on account of failing interest in this oil.