The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-14
THE CDoR OF FLOWERS.
Where Perfumes Come From and
How they Are Made.
Ffonl nc ChicaQo Time

From the Chicago Times.
Do we often appreciate what fir agrant
old word this is? Do we think of the scent
OF the waving grass and the fragrance of
the sea? Do we remember the balm Of the
forest and the faint perfume of the moist
earth! Is not the very cir scented by that
generous nature whom we call mother"
yet whose gifts, like careless children, we
OFTEN pass unnoticeda
Why, then, should've not gather sweets
OF smell and revel in rich ordorss UtiEi-
tarlan man may DO content to look for
beauty in use, but all who have the woman
In their souls will seek for uss in beauty.
The ancients claimed that perfumes were
medlclnal, suppOSitlCn that N dern re-
searches have seemed 10 justify. 1t is said
that ozone is freely evolved by the oxi iation
OF the essences of fragrant plants, and
learned professor advises the cultivation of
ouorous herbs and flowers in all places in
tected with auimal emanati, MS. No per-
son working i'll the perfume manufdcto les
OF either London or Paris has ever been
stricken with cholera, while epldemics pre-
VlouSly unkno swept owe; the island OF
Ter ate after It's spice trees had Leen cut
down by the Dutch.
In the earliest times of which we have
any record perfumes were prized aud gath
cred. Some ancient writers be ieve that
Persia was the birthplace of the art, the
country from which Egypt first received
That perfumery which was SO freely used in
the very morning of their historical age
Certain 1t is that they come from the east,
that Su kissed, incense-lovi lg o lent we see
inrosy halo. According to Greek my thoiogy
1ley were invented By tue gods, who used
them before man learned TO extract fra
GRANGE from the many odorouS articles about
him.
Bu5 careless nymph of Venus betrayed
their secret to the lower word that quickly
used 1t for mortal delectation. The Greeks
became extrava "a til fond OF perfume,
using 1t IN such quantities that the WISE
Scion attempted to restrain the excess by
law. Not only was The entire bldg per-
TUNED with various different essences, but
the air. too, was scented while they sat at
table or entertained company. The per-
tuners shops became the rendezvous of
fashion, where wit and folly gathered to dis
cuss ,puolic affairs or private matters dear
to the gay world. A istotle must have
startled the devo ees of this luxury when he
iold them that their excessive use of spicy
1lutmenti was causing prematurely gray
hair, but judging from the effect of learned
counsel on ia hionable follies of TODAY, we
may well believe that this warning was not
greatly needed.
iNdbucl tll1 bU6 us udDlU spread
until Rome, too, expended fortunes upon
Bat and beds We're sweetly scented, and
even the standards borne in battle In the
amphit eater fragrant fountains played
At the leaSts the heads Of que is were per-
funled. An immense quantity of incense
was used als) as in Greece a d other easter.
.ands. t only were they burned during
religious services, but as a luxury in tn
homes the rich or o the funeral pyre. It
eajgs hat h,,,.. l. 81,
of his wife Popp8a tnan Arabia could furn-
ish in year.
TIE familiar perfume that we call Fran
gipani was the invention of ouebf Rome's
earliest mobiles, whose name il bears. 1t is
made of equal portions OF all the known
spices, to which are added little musk,
civet and o, ris root, and is said to be mos,
asting of ell the perfumes. Originally it
was sachet, but the grandson of the inYeu-
tor discovered the means Of making an cx-
tract with refined spirits.
Good Queen Be-sn was another lover of
sweet odorS, and her luxurious taste in this
re pect greatly stimulated tae manufacture
Of perfumery in her tine. Everyb dy used
it and the excess of earlier days .eens to
nave been repeated, for we are told that
even the shoes of the queen We're petfume
and scented gloves we're ''all the rage. y s.
muc attention did the subject receive that
sences common amusement.
From the earliest times the French have
been artistic perfumers, supplying Rome
in the Us of her glory as they do The
world Of to-day. Though the fashion has
waxed and waled with the Cifferi g Ia ties
OF monarchs, the nation has ALWAYS pre-
,erved q fondness for 4 rfunes and Skill
in their preparatio J. Most of the flower
farms OF the present day are to be found in
around and between Nice and Cannes
There may be seen acres of violets, of mig
ponette, and of cassie, whose extract is
used in compromising nearly all the fine
bouquets. They are farmed precisely rs
grain is for a regular market, tons of these
lovely harvests finding their way to all
large perfumers. 1t Was esti lated to- years
ago that one manufacturer of Cannes used
annually II 900 pounds of orange
ilOwe s, 1900 pounds Of cassie flo err,
100000 pounds of rose leaves, 81, 900
pounds of jasmine flowers, 10000 poun S
If violets, 5000 pou DIS of tuberose, besides
rosemary, midt, lemon, citron, THYME
and other odorous plants in larger proper
ton.
The much-abused climate of England is
particularly adapted 10 the rasin5 of Law
ender fl jwers, that are e own in immense
quantities at Hitchin and Mitcham, Ia
=
also grown in France, none are 50 go ID a,
those gathered in Albion, nor will they
bring MOI 9 than one-fourth the price in the
market
Lave lder perfume is an ancient favorite
that has never been wholly neglected and
has recently risen into favor, dainty house
wives returning to the old cusgom of p,ac-
ing lavender leaves among taeir liable
linen. England is also famous for her pep
permint, which is much sought in foreign
markets.
But not flowers and leaves alone are used
in the making of arc aatic powders and
LIQUIDS. Resi1ous substances such as ank-
inc ,nse. benzoin and storax are also used, as
well as must, civet and ambergris, all of
which are derived from animals. All the
spices offer their sweet odors and some OF
the trees On the other hand thore are
some flowers, exqulsitely rich in fragrance,
from wnicn no SCENT c n be gathered, rs the
sweat lily of % valley. Rather is the
gathering so slow d expensive That the
odor is always initiated py a mixture Of
essences in which are mingled vanilla, tube
rose, Jasmine and altar of almonds. Hello
trope, honeysuckls and verb ,na arc SINH
larry initiated. Though vast quantities Of
the flowers are really used by the perfum-
ers, the extract called violet is rarely genu-
inc. What Is Sc luine is very expe sivc,
owing TO the great demand for this delicate
scent. However, TIE imitation is also
various odors. OF this perfume English
brands are said to b. far superior TO the
French, owing Iqgthe inodorous quality Of