The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-16 00:00:00

PERFUMES AND THEIR MANUFACTURE,

(From Fraser's Magazine.)
The most novel and remarkable feature of the
present manufacture of perfumes is the establish-
ment of flower farms. Flowers indeed have taken
the place of ambergris, musk, civet, and the olori-
&rens gums, which are now only used to give sta-
bility to the more evanescent scents. There are
flower farms in Europe and Asia, and 'another is
likely to be started in Australia, for the cultivation
of the wattle, a plant of the acacia geniis, and re-
sembling in odour very powerful violets. Practical
men bear in mind the cheapness of mitten fat (a
very necessary consideration, the preparation of
suet being an important branch of the perfumery
business), and anticipate success. England has her*
flower farm at Mitcham, iu Surrey, where lavender
and peppermint flourish nnrivalled. Roses are also
cultivated there, but only for the purpose of making
rose-water. The French rose-water, however, is
far superior ; and for otto of roses we are depend-
ant upon India and Turkey. The otto obtained
from roses grown at Gbazepore, in India, gained the
prize at the Great Exhibition, in 1851. In Turkey,
the cultivation is chiefly attended to by the Chris-
tiansio the district of the Balkan. From that neigh-
bourhood are obtainel every year, on an average,
40,000 ounces of the otto. Some idea may bo gained
of the extent of the rose plantations from the fact
that 2,000 rose-blooms yield but one drachm of
otto. Patchouli, another Eastern plant, is said to
have been introduced into Europe in the following
manner :—lt was observed by the purchasers and
sellers in Paris of Indian shawls that they possessed
a peculiar fragrance. It was useless to attempt to
pass off home-spun;!:goods for the genuine article ;
however admirable was the imitation, the fraud
was immediately detected by the absence of the true
smell. At last the .haberdashers discovered the sa-
cret ; the scent was owing to patchouli, and the
plant, which was then first imported to aid the de-
ceptions of trade, soon became a fashionable per-
fume. We may be said to be indebted to all parts
of the globe for our perfumery : but the real garden
of the perfumer is the south of Europe.' Grasse and
Nice, owing to their position, are the principal
seats of the art. The violet blooms most happily
beneath the cold shelter of the Alps ; while 'the
more tender plants, as mignonette and orange trees,
are cherished by the soft breezes of the southern
coast. It would be useless to enumerate the long
list of plants whose sweetness is introduced into our
scent-bottles and pomades. It is an easier task to
mention a few of those that we only enjoy in their
salethe
native fresltness: honeysuckle, sweet-pea, mag-
nolia, sweetbrier, clove pink, and wall-flower, are
he most fttniliar. The essences offered
o
under their names are imitatiorr, preparedf byr
mixture (4' other flowers ; for so closely allied are
the odours of flowers, that one atom of water may
produce l 10 ;e a h ed
difference
can be made
ee
; itis
easy,therefrn several
odours toovoral
con-
ceive
odours that shall resemble the perfume of a par-
ticular flower. The jasmine alone cannot be imi-
tateOdours resemble the notes of a musical in-
strument, and blend together in different harmo-
nion3 combinations. Heliotrope, vanilla, orange-
blossom, and almond, form what has been called
ona octave of odours ; patchouli, vitivert, and san-
dal-wool form another. The perfumer's skill is ex
ercised in the judicious mixture of odours of the
,ame octave. Upon this principle eau de cologne,
ess bouquet, and all popular mixed perfumes, are
prepared. The effect of mingling odours of diffe-
rent octaves.is a faint and sickly smell,.' -_.__ __,