The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-04-06
WHERE GOLD IS DR0S>
A REPORTER INvADEs A PERFUME
MANDATORY.
Flowers Worth More than Their Weigbt in
The Most Precious of Metals The WINE
of Rose, Jasmine mud Lavender.

| MS place OF business, to reporter Of
the Syracuse On. " H,rdld. lie
pulled the cork from n big bottle con-
tanning the tncture of ambergris and
rubbed it upon the back Of the report
er's hand. "The basis from which
that tincturc is made" he said. came
from sick whale. 1t doesn't smell
very pleasant, but when combined
with other things it makes sweet
perfume"
"You got that stuff from sick
whale p the reporter asked.
"Why, yes" said the perfumer, his
eyes closing as he smiled. at is u
morbid secretion of the liver of the
whale, and is principally found float
ing upon the seas of warm climates.
intermixed with remains of the food
of whales. When of god quality it Is
of bright gray color, streaked with
black and yellow, so soft that it may
be flattened with the finger. Persons
engaged in whale fishing look for
ambergris in the int tines of the
| spermaceti whale, and are most sue
cessful in those that appear torpid.
sick and lean whence it would seem
that it is product of disease. 1t is
found in Jumps weighing from one
pound to twenty or thirty pounds, and
is worth $32 an ounce, or twice as
much as gold"
"Do you use it in the manufactu g
of perfumes?'
"Yes I'll tell you how. In the first
place, it costs $500 to manufacture
Of fTbnt &c e.
a man who wishes to go into the bust
ness will have to lay out abort that
sum to start. There are six flowers
which are used in the work-the bases
of all perfumes--viOlet, cassia. rose.
tuberose, jasmine and orange flowers.
These flowers are grown in France,
except the violets, which are raised in
Northern Italy. They are plucked and
thrown into long pans filled with
suet, which is kept just hot enough to
keep it melted. The flowers are lett
in that way for twenty-four hours,
when the suet is drawn off and treated
to another batch of flowers. This pro
cess is continued for twenty or thirty
days, until the strength required has
been attained. 1t is then pat into
cans, and in that shape is sent to this
country. They are called pomades. l
take these pomades and cut them with
cologne spirits. then freeze the sub
stance and run it through filter.
The suet is thus kept apart and
1 have the pure flower perfume.
1t is very sweet and delicate,
but when exposed to the air it soon
loses its strength. Therefore we COM
bine it with what are called the fixing
ingredients, which hold the doors and
the essential oils. Take one of my
perfumes for instance. To make it l
have two large vessels. Into one
put the flower washing5 of tuberose,
rose and violet. To these l add the
tincture Of TONGA, vanilla. ambergris,
Musk. civet and tolu. This mixture
is thoroughly shaken. In the other
vessel l put the essential oils-orris,
altar Of ross, rose geranium. neroli,
langlang and patchouly. These oils
are cut with cologne spirits. The con-
tents Of both vessels are then put
together and thoroughly mixed. The
substance j. atterward filtered, and
then allowed to stand for Il month to
get age. 1t is then ready for the mar
ket. The perlumer'S artistic work is
in studying the ailinities and blending
the scents, as a painter does his col
ors"
An acre of jasmine plants, $4,000 in
number, will produce 5000 pounds Of
flowers, valued at $3.50; an acre OF
rose trees, 10000 in number, will yield
1000 pounds of flowers, worth S}1l;
300 orange trees, growing on an acre,
Will yield. ut ten years of age, 1000
pounds Of flowers, valued at $50; an
acre of violets, producing 900 p runds
of flowers, is worth $500; an are OF
cassia trees. about 800, will. ut three
years of sg' geld 800 pounds Of i!ow-
era. worth $3.50. an acre of g-r,nium
plant. will y!f! somtthn- over 1900
ounces 0! Distilled altar, worth $4,000;
and an acre OF lavender. giving over
$500 pounds o. bowers for distillation.
wi ! yield Il value of 81, 800.
The perfumer manufactures about
fifty different kinds of perfumes, in
which he uses eight different flower
washings, fifteen tinctures and about
thirty different essential oils. The lat
ter are very expensive, and the bases
from which many of the tinctures are
made cost much more than gold.
The manufacture of perfumes is
now chiefly carried on in Paris and
London, and in various towns along
the Mediterranean, especially in the
south of France. In England some
Of the essential oils are prepared from
herbs on large scale In the North
ern United States many of the essences
and essential oils are also largely pre-
pared. the woods furnishing the
wintergreen, sa isafras and other
sweet-scented plants, and gardens the
peppermint, rose, etc.
Perfumes are not obtained from
plants alone. The delicate scent of
flowers has been traced to certain oils
or others, which can be elaborated
from substances associated only with
the most disgusting odors. The fetid
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