Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-07-21
Perfumes frGm Flowers.

SidIct L nat = always 1iEOTltc, anu
is used in the makeup of many per-
fumes. Two different specimens of the
flower are used, but the perfume is
made principally from the Jnsnuinunl
GrdldifOrun.. In France the cultiva-
ii N of this plant for the perfumery
trade is an important industry, though
the plant is somewhat difficult to raise.
Very hot seasons are most favorable for
it-the hotter the weather the richer
the perfume. Old ladies take to laven-
der in any shape, and the lavender
shrub. produces powerful volatile oil
that is used not only in perfumerv and
for flavoring dishes, but in medicine
also. Lavender produces three distinct
oils known to the trade. The poorest is
commonly called spike oil. Tive other
kinds are distilled from a species of the
shrub which is common in England
and the French mountains. The Eng
liSh oil is the best-worth ten times as
much as the French. The villagers
about Bedington and Wellington.
England, and other places at one time
raised the entire supply. The suppl "
is now growing less, and consequently
the price is going up, and the business
of raising lavender is 4 paying one.
The English crop, if you can call it a
crop. is gathered in July and August.
Then the flowers are in full bloom and
do not require any cleaning or trim
ming. BOYS and girls pick them, and
. flowers and stalks are distilled together,
every fifty pounds giving about ten
ounces OF oil. The imported oil mostly
comes from France. though a great
deal comes from Algeria and north
Italy. Although the English oil is the
best. the foreign grades probably sell
better in England and this country. one
IL. II, Il I.,
fancy names the French put on the bot
ties Lavender water finds an cnor
NOUS sale among BARRIERS. many of
whom make their own dccoctionS out
of ANYTHING they can get hold of. Real
lavender water is made from lavender
oil. mixed with rose and orange water.
\ cheap kind is called essence d aspic.
and is distilled from wild plant and
dpctorcd with turpentine and camphor.
.-Thvmc is an old-faShioned sort of
a plant, but HH3litS ru'Jdrts, common
in France, Greece. and many other
countries, gives us valuable per
fumcrv oil. In France they take from
it two entirely different oils, red and
white. the gathering being done in the
summer months. In the same localities
the rosemary is cultivated. and, being 4
popular pcrfumcry, i> in great demand
at Il high price. Patchuuli comes from
the oil of the r0VOStcHC0H p1tch0HF, a
plant collected by the natives of the
Malay islands. 1t is extremely pow
criul, 4 little of il going great ways
when the winds fair. 1t is always in
fashion and is used with altar of rose.
In altar of rose there is probaly
more deception than in any other per
fume. Certain kinds come from
Turkey. done up in curious bottles,
Il OH
authority. that these bottles and their
contents were manufactured in a Con-
nrcticut town. and the profits were
about sevcntv-fivc cents on Il dollar.
Even in the East. where the genuine
altar Of rose iS made. it is a,lultrratcd
with oil of rose ~rranium and the oil
of Il grass found in India, and 50 great l.
the cheating that the trade in this grass
alone is an important one. The head
quarters of the trade are in Turkey.
The genuine thing rome> from Turkey
and Bulgaria Syrfrna furnishes a
wreat deal. The natives of the valley
of the Gangcs also produce great
deal for home consumption. and some
i produced in France. Any one who
knows the business can tell the genuine
article, at a glance. To be good it should
,.nm"rai n tiftV-tiVc degrees Fahrenheit.
and i'll appearance the crystals should
he rich. clear. and partly transparent
If the bottom of the bottle contains a
sediment, YOU may know that some
handler has adultcratcd ii with paratline
WAN or spermaccti. The rose from
which this valuable oil iS taken is the
rosa DunlaSce 1ia. and rose water is
made from Il decoctiOn of the leaves OF
the same plant. The petals OF Fo"
GuHica. grown in Asa Minor and
$ md Il No
are greatly valued, and the leaves also
bring a high price. The same dccep-
ton is found i'll these, thos" imported
from Franco being often dyed with
some aniline. \ drop of ammonia,
however, detects the fraud.
The frnereal tuberose produces a
powerful perfume. but the violet is most
esteemed for its chaSte odor. The
q'i0Ea Od0rutn is the one we use, and IN
France its cultivation gives employ
mcnt to hundreds of men, women and
children The harvest of viOletS IS
from February to April.
--Ecrbcna was at one time faVorlte
perfume. 1t comes from the lemon
Grass plant. common at Singapore. In
Provence the cultivation OF the rose
ereranium Is an important business
From this plant also comes the famous
essence of African GrranIum. valued as
an adultcrant for altar of rose. 1t being
nearly as expensive. 1000 pounds OF
the raw material producing only two
pounds of the essence
..Mignonette is liked rs a perfume.
and is variouSly initiated. Bergamot
also has its admirers. The latter Is an
oil taken, not from a flower. but from
the fruit of the lemon-like Gurus
bcrqa,uia.- In Sicily the trees are cui-
tivated in great numbers The 1r.lt
is picked when green. about 200 pro
ducin" six ounces of oil. Most OF the
oil is shipped from Palermo and Mes
Sina.
lone of the most popular perfumes
is heliotrope. but it does not come from
the flower of that name. rs one mlght
suppose but is made from comhlni-
tion of violet and vanilla. The beautl-
full lily of the valley is largely used in
France for making perfumerJ. The
daffodil, which is found everywhere,
is also much used. the lemon also Is
used in perfumery, and SO is the
orance."-N Y. Sun.
The severe storm of the other day
caused one of the most wonderful land