The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-08-13
ATTAR OF ROSES.
An Aeeeaat of the Manufacture or Thls
Costly Substance.

An Account OF the Manufacture OF Thkf
Costly ssbstaRoe.
The following account of the manu.
facture of this interesting substance ID
condensed from a paper in the United
states consular reports. The annual
product ia the district referred to
reached three tons in 1874, selling
for $500, coo. In 1881 the product
was 4 soc peunds, bat the cost of man.
ufaeturs has been greatly increased in
recent yesrs and it sold for 1926, 900.
Altar Of roses is produced on large
scale N the province of Roumelia, on
the southern slopes of the Balkans. and
it is only tho altar of these districts
that is of any moment. Small quanti-
ties are produced in India aud Persia,
but they are used for home consump-
altar of roses produced in the south of
Franco, which. although of good quail
ity, forms only very small part of the
consumption, of these producing
places. The altar of Tunis is of the
best quality. but tho quantity produced
is comparatively small aHd the price
high. Very little is exported.
The altar produced in Roumelia Is
Gina, whose color is, as a rule, bright
red; it is sometimes, but rarely, white.
1t is not very full as q flower, and
blooms in May and June. The rose
trees, when full grown. reach height.
of about six feet, and are planted in
rows. They have to be tended very
careful from the autumn to the time ok
gathering. The flowers when in bloom
are plucked before sunrise, only in
such quantities as can be distilled on
the day they are plucked. The distil-
ling apparatus consists of O plain
timed stifi, from which long curved
tube is directed through tub filed
with fresh water. and empties in big
bottle. Several such apparatus are usu-
ally standing on stone hearths, by the
side of each other, and, If possible.
close to brook in the shade of trees.
According 10 the size of the appa-
ratus, the still may hold from twenty
five to fifty pounds of roses, on which
about double that amount of water is
poured, and is boiled briskly for about
half an hour. The distilled liquid is
collected in the bottle that stands Mt
the mouth of the cooling tube. and the
altar of roses, which. separates from
the water appears on the surface,
where it is skinned. The distilled
water is again used for distillation, and
constitutes ultimately the rose-water
which enters into trade.
After a sufficient quantity of altar is
produced it has to be totally freed from
the water, and is kept in copper cans.
timed both on the inside and outside.
The rose trees attain their maximum
producing capacity in their fourth year,
say from $500 to 1000 pounds per
acre They are very sensible to cold;
fogs and rain are also very fatal to the
blossoms. But the yield depends most
upon the weather during time of distil-
lation; the latter lasts sometimes ten
days only, when the weather is warm
and clear, whereas it may require a
month and more if the sky is cloudy,
especially if rain falls at intervals. In
the first case Ehe yield is almost ALWAYS
unfavorable, as the roses are blooming
at the same time, and, as there is no
time to gather and work them all, the
odOr OF the flower soon vanisheS, and
the yield in altar is much less in conse-
qucnce, so that 5000 to I, 900 pounds
OF leaves are needed to give one pound
of altar. When the weather is favor
able and the buds bloom gradually
$500 to $500 pound of leaves will give
enc pound.
Pure altar of roses when distilled
with due care is ut first eelorless, but
seoA takes yellowish eolor. No Ger
rain method is knewi to detect falsifi-
cation. AdRixtares Of aleohel for the
earpose ef IHs<sasiRs the freezing "a
Faeity, sr adsasxtxrss ef spermaceti,
neither of whiesa, at least in the whole
sale trade, is nav Fessrtsi to, are, of
eeaEse, easily Ssteetsd. EHt the most
iMpsrtzat fasssfFiag nesiasA is oil of
geraniRm. wkish seAs dealers order
even nj Gsnstsa Eaople ts be sent to
kyzanhk, b he distilled over again
with rsss Leaves. aad to mix with altar
of roses. Ned6cats additions of this
ell defy detsetiea- The sHrest method
of testing is by snell. but it requires
much training, and can emily be acquir-
ed by many years patience. 1t is stu
a widespread belief. although an er-
reneous enc, that the quality of the
altar of roses corresponds exactly with
the degree of its freezing capacity
The ''stsaropteD," which Is the freez-
ing agent of the altar, is devoid of any
SDen WHaleNoE, anu has lucES1OIc, no
bearing on the fayer or the purity OF
the altar. A certain freezing capacity
is, it is true, one of the claims which
one may lay on really good altar, but
this only because the admixture OF
other essential oils has the effect OF
lowering the freezing point. The at
tar sets at 81 degrees to 63 degrees
Fahrenheit. according to the quantity
of stcaropten contained in it; it some-
times. but exceptionally, congeals ut a
higher temperature, it then shows
feathcry, transparent crystals, filling
all the liquid; specific weight is 9-S7 at
81 degrees Fahrenheit.
Altar made in the highest-situated
villages is, as rHle. considered Of
greater freezing eapability, and OF
more intense, but harsher, flavor,
whereas the produce from the plain
shews a lower freezing point, and is
possessed Of a syestsr and amer flavor.
Scottish agricultural Gazette.