Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-16
PERFUMES FROM FLOWERS.


PERFUMES FROM FLOWERS.
Some OF the FavOriies and the Plants
by which they are Supplied.
From the New York Sun.
Good perfumes are made directly from
flowers, and not out of cheese, coal tar, and so
on, as people have been led to suppose" said
an uptown chemist. Take the jessamine, for
instance. That's always favorite, and is used
in the makeup of many perfumes. Two diff
ferent specimens Of the flower are used, but the
perfume is made principally from the Jasn,inuns
grdndJlorum. In France the cultivation of
this plant for the perfumery trade is an i'm
portant industry, though the plant is some
what difficult to raise. Very hot seasons are
most favorable for 1.-THE hotter the weather
the richer the perfume. Old ladies take to
lavender in any shape, and the lavender shrub
produces powerful volatile oil that is used
not only In perfumery and for flavoring dishes,
but in medicine also. Lavender produces three
distinct oils known to the trade The poorest
is commonly called spike oil. Two other kinds
are distilled from a species OF the shrub which
is common in England and the French noun
tains The English oil is the best-wortt ten
times as much as the French. The villagers
about Bedington and Wellington, England, and
other places at one time raised the entire sup
piy. AHC ouppiJ 10 HOW RTOWluR lcSS anu con-
sequently the price Is going up, and the bust
ness of raising lavender is a paying one. The
English crop, If you can call It a crop, is
gathered in July and August. Then the flowers
arc in full bloom and do not require any clean
ing or trimming. Boys and girls pick them,
together, every fifty pounds giving about
ten ounces of Oil. TIE imported
oil mostly comes from France though a great
deal comes from Algeria and north Italy. Al
though the English oil is the best, the foreign
grades probably sell better in England and this
country, one reason being the cheapness and
the fancy names the French put on the bottles
Lavender water finds an enormous sale among
BARRIERS, many OF whom make their own decoc-
lions 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 dOctored with turpentine
and camphor.
'Thyme is an old-fashioned sort of plant but
Mymus Uulgo,'is, common in France, Greece and
many countries; gives US a valuable perfumery
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 local.
tiles the rosemary is cultivated and, being pop
ular perfumery, is in great demand at high
price. PatchOuli comes from the oil of the TO-
gosteneon patc1ouH plant collected by the ma
tives of the Malay islands, 1t is extremely pow
erful, a little of 1t going great ways when the
winds fair. 1t is always in fashion, and is used
with altar Of rose.
I'm altar Of rose there is probably more de-
ception than In any other perfume. Certain
kinds come from Turkey, done up In curious
bottles, and learned some time ago. on good
authority, that these bottles and their contents
were manufactured in Connecticut town, and
the profits were about Is cents on q dollar
Even In the east, where the genuine altar of
rose is made, it is adulterated with oil of rose
geranium and the oil of q grass found In India.
and so great is the cheating that the trade in this
grass alone Is an important one. The head
quarters Of the trade are in Turkey The gem
uine thing comes from Turkey and Bulgaria,
Smyrna furnishes great deal. The natives of
the valley of the Ganges also produce good
deal for home consumption, and some is pro-
duced in France. Any one who knows the bust
ness can tell the genuine article at glance. To be
In appearance the crystals should be rich. clear.
and partly transparent. If the bottom of the
bottle contains sediment, you may know that
some handler has adulterated 1t with paraffne
wax, or spermaceti. The rose from which this
valuable oil is taken is the rosa DaYnascena. and
rose water is made from decoction Of the
leaves OF the same plant. The petals of rosa
Gdllicd, grown in Asia Minor and various parts
OF England and Europe, are greatly valued, and
the leaves also bring a high price. The same de-
ception is found In these, those imported from
France being often dyed with some aniline A
drop OF ammonia, however, detects the fraud
The funereal tuberose produces q powerful
perfume, but the violet is most esteemed for it's
chaste Odor. The uiold odordta is the one we
use, and in France it's cultivation gives employ
ment TO hundreds OF men. women, and children.
The harvest Of violets is from February to April
'Verbena was at one time favOrite perfume.
1t comes from the lemOn-grass plant common
at Singapore. In Provence the cultivation of
the rose geranium Is an important business.
From this plant also comes the famous essence
Of African geranium, valued as an adulterant for
altar OF rose, 1t being nearly as expensive, 2,OO0
pounds OF the raw material producing only two
pounds of the essence.
"MignOnnette is liked as perfume, and is
variously initiated. Bergamot also has its ad-
mirers. The latter is an oil taken, not from q
flower, but from the fruit of the lemon-like
Gurus 0eT9dnttd. In Sicily the trees are culti-
waited In great numbers. The fruit is picked
when green, about 200 producing six ounces of
oil. Most Of the oil is shipped from Palermo and
Messina.
Zone OF the most popular perfumes is hello
trope, but 1t does not come from the flower Of
that name, as one might suppose, but is made
from combination of violet and vanilla. The
y m 81 the valley is largely used in
which Is found everywhere, is also much used.
the orange"
Boarding and Breakfasting i'm Boston.
From the Boston Post
There is no other factor in human happiness
that can rival cheerful temperament and the
ability to look upon the bright side Of every
question and situation. A case In point: A
friend OF mine recently boarded for short time
at house not noted for the richness or bounti-
fnlness of Its fare. When asked how he liked 1t,
he said: "Well-the toothpicks are about the
best have found this season."
A Washington gentleman, who is vouched for