The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-30
FLOWER FARMING IN AMERICA.
We Might Make Our Perfumes and Pom
AIDES Instead of Imnorfiug Them.


We Might Make Our Perfumes and Pom
AIDES Instead of Importing Them.
WASHINGTON CRY, Aug. 25.-TSpecial. i
Flower farming is an industry to the
development of which, in this country, the
department of agriculture looks forward
with hopeful confidence. At present the
United States is an enormous buyer from
France OF cologne waters, pomades and
perfumed oils. which might just as we'll be
produced domestically. Many great dis
tricts at moderately high altitude be-
tween the Goth and 10th parallels of lati-
tude are excellently adapted to this sort of
horticultural pursuit on a commercial
scale, and the only reason why it has not
already been taken up and pushed to sue
cess seems to be that no one has seriously
thought about it,
This seems rather surprising, too, in
view of the comparative simplicity of the
business and of the readiness of opportu-
mites at hand. There is no essential pc
culiarity of soil or climate in the flower
and farming region of the south of France
which is not reproduced over great ex-
tents of territory here. What is required
for the purpose is merely an altitude of
a
eous soil, shelter from cold north winds,
and freedom from the white frosts of lower
areas. Attempts have been made in Flor
ida to raise orange blossoms for market,
but their failure was due simply to the cir
cumstance that low-lying lands were Sc
lected for their cultivation, trees bearing
the edible fruit being used for the purpose.
Experience has shown that flowers of all
sorts grown high above the sea have finer
and more intense bouquet. One great adj
vantage which American producers would
ordinarily enjoy is natural moisture in
plenty. whereas the French are Obliged to
depend largely upon expensive irrigation.
Farms 10 raise flowers upon, therefore,
are plenty enough in the United States
As for the blossoms themselves, they are
Of the simplest possible varieties, and the
rearing OF them requires no exceptional
skill. The French cultivators eschew all
fancy varieties in this sort of work Their
violets are of the single kind; their roses
are OF the common pink sort, such as grow
about farmhouses in the rural districts of
this country; their tuberoses and white
lasmines are of the plainest description.
They lind the plain ones best for their pur-
pose, because they have the sweetest smell
and most of it: In ''aiorning the rose"
hortlcuiturists have let go some of its de-
ightful odor, and a portion of its perfume
has been Withdrawn from the violet Incl
dentally to the process Of doubling its
petals.
Thus it would appear that there can be
no difficulty about raising the flowers
The variety needed is not large. Jonquils,
violets and migonette mature in February,
March and April. In May and June roses
and orange blossoms, with thyme and
rosemary are gathered. Jasmines and
tuberoses come along in July and August.
lavender and splkenard in September. and
acacia in October and November. The
harvest time lasts for nine months in the
year. during which in France BUYERS go
about in wagons from plantation to planta-
ton, purchasing crops at whatever may be
the current rates. Roses, of course. are
the most important products, and
after they have been picked.
the bushes are cut down nearly to
the ground. in order TO keep
their vigor from going to leaves and to
preserve IL for the next seasons blossoms,
All MOWERS are gathered as early in the
morning as possible, so as to have them
as fresh and as strong of perfume as NAV
be. The thyme and rosemary are raised
mostly by farmers in other lines of agri-
cultural industry, who usually possess the
simple apparatus necessary for distilling
the plants. such essences as they produce
are OF an inferior sort, and are utilized
Now, the transforming of the flowers,
once grown and picked into marketable
perfumes and pomades, is not an affair
requiring great skill. You can do the
thing yourself on small scale If you have
garden. Take a frame like a window
sash, holding single pane of glass: wash
the glass carefully and cover both sides
OF IL with thln layer of grease made of
two parts of lard and one of tallow. Pick
off the petals Of a lot of roses or vioIets.
throwing the rest of the flowers AWAY
anu lay them over the grease. Have a
dozen such frames thus prepared, and
stack them up by laying them
evenly on top OF one another
Ihus you will have a series of
ciosed chambers, each containing a LAYER
OF flower petals between a floor and cell
ing OF grease. Fat or oil of any kind has a
strong affinity for perfumes, and so the
grease absorbs the smell of the violets or
roses. Put IN fresh petals every day. and
al the end OF two or three months the
grease Will be intensely inpregnated with
the odor OF the flowers. Scrape it Off the
glass then and put it in alcohol. The
later has an affinity for the perfume even
stronger than that which the grease NOS
sesses; so 1t will quickly absorb it from the
grease, and, upon pouring the alcohol off
into another vessel, you will have exquisite
can de cologne.
mat Is precisely the way in which the
french manufacture their Cologne waters.
ne grease seraped from the glass frames,
Mnien Is gained .'pomade," is packed in
TN cans and sent to the cities, where il is
treated with alcohol. Afterwards for the
scent which il still retains, it is employed
as an ingredient of soaps. All the bro
cesses are performed at factories 70
whlcn the flowers bought from the
farmers are taken. Careful manipulation.
scrupllous cleanliness, and this under
standing of few simple rules are Ali that
Is required. Women do the work almost
whoiiy, and here, il is urged, might be
FOUND great field for the employment IN
hight and agreeable occupation of wage
earners of the gentier sex in this country.
For their sake it is permissible to hope
that the time is not far distant when this
industry will be taken up in the United
States, and Uncle Sam will no longer look
10 foreign parts for his nerfume and ~