The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-12-14

Buford came, loaded with the presents
they had bought for Baby. The tree was
lighted up again, and Mrs. Buford made
happy by present of the lovely like
ness, which brought to her nothing but
pleasant memories. And the innocent,
unconscious center of the whole adoring
group was Grandpa's Lost Baby.-Olive
Thorne IN ". Y. Independent.
Otto of Roses.
The most delicious of all perfumed
essences is obtained by the simple distil-
latiOn of rose leaves. In our climate,
to produce the properly OdoriferOus es-
produce from rose leaves is rose water,
which in fact is water slightly impreg-
mated with the essence or oil, which is, to
small degree, soluble in it. The most
favorable country for the production of
the most highly-sccnted roses is the mid
die portion of European Turkey, at the
base of the southern slope of the Balkan
Mountains, where the roses are grown in
localities where they are protected against
all winds except those from the south;
and the flowers thus attain a luxuriance
in perfume and in growth, as we'll as in
size, of which those who Lave not visited
these regions can hardly form any idea.
The town of Kesanlik, situated IN the
province of that name, is the center of the
field of cultivation and distillaticn of the
rose leaves. The leaves are gathered all
| over the province, which is forty miles
long, and is watered by the river Thungha
and the many mountain streams which
discharge into the same, furnishing the
water necessary for the distillation. To
give an idea of the extent to which this
industry has attained, we need only say
that there are in that province 1913 differ
ent villages, of which the inhabitants are
all employed in the culture of the beauti-
full flowers. These all live in peace to-
gether, Turks and Christians; and they
prosper, having become wise by ex-
perience, finding that it is better to work
than to waste time in religious or political
quarrels.
Almost all the country is occupied by
rose plantations, and only a comparatively
small portion is devoted to raising rye and
barley, for the subsistence of the inhabi-
tants and their cattle. The rose grows
best on those parts of the slopes where
the sun shines most, and which is the
least northern in exposure. A light soil
is best; and the planting is done during
spring and autumn, in parallel bitches
three inches deep and five feet apart. In
these bitches shoots from old rose trees
are laid; they must, however, not be cut
from the tree, but torn off, SO that each
shoot has some portion of the root or bark
of the root adherent They are then cov-
cred with earth mixed with little man.
ure. II the land is horizontal, and
mountain stream can be diverted so as 20
inundate it, this is done, 10 hasten the
growth; at the end of six months, shoots
are seen coming up all along the burrows,
and at the end of one year these shoots.are
three or four feet high, forming regular
hedges. AT the end of the second year,
roses appear, but not in sufficient abund-
ance for them to be gathered. The gather
ing is commenced in the third year, after
which they produce largely, the hedges
being, at the end of five years, six feet
high. The bushes produce flowers until
fifteen years old, when the field is worn
out, and must be plowed up. They do
not prune the rose bushes at all, as we do;
but they cut off, every year in the late fall
or winter, the dead branches.
The great harvest commences about
May IS, and lasts until June or 10: the
gathering is done daily in the morning
before sunrise, and the distillation is fin
ished before twelve noon, so as to have
the benefit of ali the freshness of the flow
ers, which is at once driven off by the
heat of the day. In hot seasons, the
roses open more rapidly, and the crop
may last but for ten days, but in wet,
cooler seasons, the progress is slower, and
the crop may last for twenty-five days;
but then the daily harvest is smaller in
proportion, so that the final result is
about the same. However, cool, slow
weather is preferred, as it eases the daily
labor.
The stills used are of the toughest kind,
and small; they hold from 200 to 240
pints of water, and are carried to the rose
bushes to be filled. To twenty pounds of
rose leaves, 100 pints of water are added
and the whole is distilled at gentle heat
until twenty pints of water are distill ed
on. This quantity contains nearly all the
perfume of the leaves, which are then
thrown away with the remaining water;
and the still is again filled with twenty
pounds of leaves and 100 pints water.
This operation is repeated until all the
leaves have been used. The water thus
! distilled of is strong rose water; and
the result of eight or ten Installations is
put in still and submitted TO a second
dlstlllation, when stronger rose water is
obtained; so strong, indeed, that it is un-
able to centaln the essence in solution,
and the latter floats on the top of the
water. Experience has shown that, for
every ounce of otto of roses, 5000 pounds
OF rose leaves are required.
The total yearly production of eight
districts, into which the 100 villages of
the province of Kezanlik are divided, is
on an average $500 pounds of otto of
roses, of which the district in which the
capital is situated produces half. Some
years ago, however, the bushes were ex-
ceptionally prolific. Thus, in 1866, 5000
pounds were produced; but in 1879 only
1,7OO pounds could be obtained. We
ought.to add that every rose farmer has
his own stills for producing otto of roses
Immediately after picking the flowers;
and thousands of industrious workers are
thus occupied, earning in single short
period of twenty days the products of a
years labor in preparing the soil, planting
and taking care of the growing plants.
When the distillation is over, the farmers
come from all parts of the provinces to
the capital to sell their products, those
who have large quantities selling directly
IN the great commercial centers, such as
Constantinople and Adrianop]e. At pres
ect, however, an enterprizing firm in
kezanlik, considering the delay to which
the trade with the last-named cities is SUBJ
ject, and the chances of adulteration,
have established depot in Paris, France,
from which this delicate and expensive
perfume Is now distributed over Europe
and all the world-IScientifc american.
Picked Apples.-Three pounds of
sugar, seven pounds of apples quartered
and cored, one pint of vinegar. Steam
the apples until a fork will 20 through
them readily: Then make strip of the
sugar and vinegar and pour over them
quarter Very nice.