The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-08-28
ALTAR OF ROSES,
An Account Of the Manufacture Of This Costly
Suh

An Account of the Manufacture Of This Costly
Substance.
The following account of the manu-
facture of this Interesting substance is
condensed from paper in the United
States consular reports. The annual
product in the district referred to
reached three tons in 1884, selling
for 100000. In 1884 the product
was 4,6O0 pounds, but the cost of man
ufacture has been greatly increased of
recent years, and it sold for 1925, 900.
Altar of roses is produced ON a large
scale N the province of Roumeiia, on
the southern slopes of the Balkans,
and it is only the altar of these dis
tricts that is of any moment. Small
quantities are produced in India and
Persia, but they are used for home
consumption, and the same is the case
with the altar of roses produced in the
south OF France, which, although of
quite good quality, forms only very
small part OF the consumption of these
producing places. The altar of Tunis
is of the best quality, but the quantity
produced is comparatively small and
the price high. Very little is exported.
The altar produced in Roumelia is
made by distillation from rosa daras-
Gina, whose color is, as a rule, bright
red; it is sometimes, but rarely, white.
1t is not very full as a flower, and
blooms in May and June. The rose
trees. when full grown, reach a height
OF about six feet, and are planted in
rows. They have to be tended very
carefully from the autumn to the time
of gathering. The flowers when in
full bloom are plucked before sunrise,
only in such quantities as can be dis
titled on the day they are plucked.
The distilling apparatus consists of d
plain timed still, from which long
curved tube IS directed through a tub
filled with fresh water, and empties in
a big bottle. Several such apparatus
are usually standing on stone hearths,
by the side of each other, and, if pos
sible, close to brook in the shade of
trees.
According to the size of the appar-
atus, the still may hold twenty-five to
double that quantity of water is
poured, and is boiled briskly for about
half an hour. The distilled liquid is
collected in the bottle that stands at
the mouth of the cooling tube, aud the
ttlbStI vi IOSOS, SCPdIdbCS 11OIh
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.
Aftera 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 theirmaximum
producing capacity in their fourth
year; say from $500 to 1900 pounds
per acre. They are very sensible to
cold; fogs and rain are also very fatal
to the blossoms. But the yield de-
pends, most upon the weather during
time OF distillation; the latter lasts
sometimes ten days only, when the
weather is warm and clear. whereas
it may require month and more if
the sky is cloudy, especially if rain
falls at intervals. In the first case the
yield. is almost always, unfayorable,
as the roses are blooming at the same
time, and, as there is no time to gather
and work them all, he odor of the
flower soon vanishes, and the yield in
altar is much less in consequence, so
that 5000 to 1000 pounds of leaves
are needed to give one pound of altar.
When the weather is favorable and
the buds bloom gradually $500 to
$500 pounds of leaves will give one
pound.
Pure altar of roses, when distilled
with due care is at first coioE3ess, but
soon takes yellowish color No GER
tain method is known to- detect falsi-
tication. Admixtures of alcohol for
the purpose of increasing the freezing
capacity, or admixtures of spermaceti,
neither of which, at least in the whole
sale trade, is now resorted to, are, of
course, easily detected. But the most
important falsifying medium IS oil of
oeranlum, which some dealers order
even at Constantinople to be sent to
Kyzanlik, to be distilled over again
with rose leaves, and to- be mixed
with altar of roses. Moderate addi-
tions of this oil defy detection. The
surest method of testing is by smell,
but it requires much training, and can
only be acquired by many years pa
tience. 1t is still widespread belief,
although an erroneous one, that the
quality of the altar of roses CORE
spends exactly with the degree of
it's freezing capacity The ''stearop-
| ten," which is the freezing agent of
the altar. is devoid of any smell what
ever, and has, therefore, no bearing
on the flavor or the parity 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 admixtare of other essen
tial oils has the effect of lowering the
freezing point. The altar sets at 81
degrees to 63 degrees Fahrenheit. ac-
cording to the quantity OF stearopten
contained in it, it sometimes, but ex-
ceptionalfy, congeals at higher tenn
perature; it then shows feathery,
transparent crystals, filling all the
liquid; specific weight is 9.S7 at 81
degrees Fahrenheit.
Altar made in the highest-situated
villages is, as a rule, considered OF
greater freezing capability, and OF
more intense, but harsher flavor
whereas the produce from the plain
shows lower freezing point, and is
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