The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-26
FLOwER-GRowING FOR PERFUM-
ERY.

The New York Post has this item:
"Californians expect that within year
or two their State will become noted as
center for the cultivation of flowers for
perfumery purposes, and thus become a
rival to France and Germany, which have
monopolized this business heretofore"
Just where in the drift of news the
New York paper discovered the item we
do not know. We are unaware of any
systematized effort in the direction in
Dictated. Possibly such an industry is
having growth here, but if so its statis-
ties have not yet found place in CONNER
cial compilations. But why California
should not become an extensive manu-
facturer of perfumes is an interesting
question.
The making Of perfumes is one of the
Oldest of the arts, dating back to the first
pages of industrial history. The pre-
paration of ointments, oils and scents
from odoriferous bodies has been followed
from the time to which any tradition
runs. In the manufacture of natural,
not artificial perfumes, there would seem
to be no reason why California should
not engage as well as France, except the
one important item of labor Labor in
France is so much less cost that the Gull
tivation of plants for perfumes is con-
Quoted there at the lowest minimum pos
sible TO civilized people. Here, how
ever, where we can grow any plant that
may be cultivated in France, would not
the industry well engage the occupants
of homes, women and children, who could
give to the work something of their leis-
ure hours?
The fruits and flowers of the south of
France and the Mediterranean towns
furnish now the base for the most of the
natural perfumes manufactured in Paris,
which, with London, is the chief pro-
Queer of perfumery. In France certain
sections are famous for certain peculiar
perfume plants, as for instance Cannes is
noted for its rose products, its tuberose,
cassva, jasmine, and the neroh extracted
from the leaves of the bitter orange
Mines is famous for its thyme, rosema-
ries, aspic and lavender; Nice for violet
and migonette, precisely as is Sicily for
lemon, bergamot and oranges.
England gets her essential oils from
herbs grown on large scale in several
sections; as in Surrey, from whence most
of the peppermint and lavender come.
In our own country the Northern States
furnish many woods and odoriferous
plants, from which essences and essential
oils are prepared. The perfumes come,
in the United States also, from host of
seeds, woods, fruits and flowers grown
in greater or less quantities all over the
Union.
The artificial perfumes, often obtained
from substances in themselves repulsive,
are very many, and the limitations made
with them of the scent of flowers are
more than clever, but these can never
wholly displace the natural perfumes,
which always have ready market. The
only question is, while we must go to
Ceylon for the base of citronella, and to
the Orient for sandal wood, to India
for vetiver, and so on, yet cannot we
grow to profit all the perfume producers
cultivated in Europe? In the manu-
facture of artificial perfumes we cannot
hope in this time to compete with the
Europeans, where the cunning art has
been brought to perfection, but in the
growth of flowers, from which the most
delicate perfumes are extracted, Califor-
MIA certainly has equal capacity with
France. leaving the question of the cost
of labor to one side. How far then we
may possibly engage in the manufacture
of perfumery here is question of nc
small interest.
IT is now thoroughly well established
that diamonds are sometimes to he fou nd