, 1885-12-03
rag PREPARATION OF poMADgs.
How the rrsnoh Manufacturer Manage
the business Perfumsd Oils.

hoH ~ AhcHth 'AahutAothNuAa nhhnAku
the business erfumsd OILS.
lcor. San Francisco chronicle.l
There are two ways Of preparing po-
mades, according to tho character OF the
flowers used. The principal method
used for the jonquil, jasmine and tube
rose is the "chasis,' that is, the chase
or frame. The size OF this frame u
arbitrary, but those in common use in
the largest distilleries in Grasse are
something less than three feet in length
by about two-thirds of that in width.
Each Of these might be compared to a
large pane of glass detached from the
window Of which it is part, but retain
ing about 1t tho portion of sash which
is It's protection. The large oblong piece
OF glass corresponds with tho pant and
its frame to tho surrounding wood. The
frame may possibly DO an inch and a
half in width, and consequently rises
all around the glass which ii incloses to
the height of three-quarters OF an inch,
or a little more. A bed of grease about
one-quarter or one-third of an inch in
thickness Is placed on both sides OF the
glass, coming at the edges nearly TO the
frame. The preparation of this grease
has been the chief labor of the two
months of the year unoccupied by the
flower harvest. 1t is composed of lard
and mutton suet mixed in a certain pro-
portion and has been refined by boiling
and straining till it retains no impurity
whatever.
Rows of tables run along the center
of a large room, on either side of which
stand the women who have to handle
the flowers. They have the frame be-
fore them, "A basket of jasmine or tube
roses beside them. The flowers are
placid on the bed OF grease, and as fast
as the requisite quantity is applied,
which is Just about enough to cover the
grease from sight, they are placed in
tiers at the side of the room to the
height of four or five feet. The frames
are OF the same size, well made, and
fitting so closely 10 one another that
none of the perfume can escape. So
arranged each layer of flowers has a bed
of grease above and below it, which alb
serbs the odor. The next morning
these flowers are all picked OF and
thrown away. They may not have lost
every particle of their fragrance, but
they have certainly lost most Of it, and
if they were allowed TO remain longer
the quality of the perfume would be
deteriorated by the whitening of the
blossom.
A new coating of flowers is applied,
the trays are replaced in tiers, and this
process is continued with a daily re-
newal Of the flowers for from thirty
days TO three months, according to the
strength of the pomades desired. WheI
finished the pomades are taken off tho
glass and placed in the cans or stag
Mons" holding ten, thirty, or fftl
pounds, for expectation. The building
in which the labor has been carried or
is Of stone or brick, with thick walls,
and the temperature is usually moder-
ate, otherwise the grease would become
rancid with this long exposure.
The othor method of preparing po-
mades is 10 boil them in the grease in
large caldrons or kettles. The flowers
are simply put in the grease like so
many potatoes and boiled for a certain
time. They are then taken out, placed
in a powerful press to extract all the
grease, and thrown away. Another
quantity of flowers is put into the
grease, and the operation is renewed,
and perhaps continued for weeks. The
process can be somewhat fastened if the
completion of the work is q matter OF
Importance.
The method of preparing perfumed
oils is nj less interesting. Trays are
used somewhat like those employed in
the preparation of pomades, but deeper,
and having a sieve-like arrangement
instead Of the plate of glass. On this
sieve is placed a layer Of cotton, satur-
ated with the best olive oil. On the
cotton is placed a layer of flowers, and
the trays are stacked one above the
other like the pomades. The same
daily change of flowers Is made, the
process being continued without chang
ing the oil for two or three months, the
length of time being regulated by the
desired strength of the perfumed oil.
When it is finished the cotton is sub
jected to q hydraulic pressur, and the
oil extracted placed in the proper YES
sells. This method entails a certain a
amount Of loss, which is accurately es-
timated. The oil, like the grease, is
merely used As a recipient of the per-
fume, which can be separated as de-
sired. The great perfumers of London,
Paris, and New York takes these recip-
tents, ~disengage the perfume, and with
1t make their extracts. soaps, toilet
waters, or other odorous preparations.