Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-12


w or liquors, cordials
| and aerated waters
| and in medicine. Those made abroad reach
/ the United States in an impure condition,
| American importers actually preferring
| adulterated brands because OF their cheap
ness. OF the essential oils manufactured
| here the most important is that of pepper
mint, the production of which is enormous
| and constitutes great industry.
The peculiar and characteristic odors of
| flowers. leaves. fruits. seeds, roots, barks
| and woods are due to the presence of es-
| sential oils. Without the latter there
| there would be no liquors or perfumery,
and spices would be unknown. In some
plants the oil Is found in the flowers as
the rose and violet; in others in the fruit,
| as the nutmeg; In others in the unexpand-
ed buds. as the Glove; in others in the
bark. as certain laures, and in still others
In the outer rind of the fruit. as the
! orange and lemon. In South Germany is
found species of dittany. the stem of
which is covered with Oil glands that diff
fuse lemon-like odor. The country people
say that the vapor exhaled from 1t on
warm summer nights will ignite from
candle. but this phenomenon lacks scien-
tihc verification.
Inc Oll OF peppermint.
The bulk of the worlds supply of pepper
mint oil is produced in the United States
In the states of New York and Michigan
100000 pounds of it are manufactured an
nually. representing 1900 tons of raw
material The latter consists wholly of
the fresh flowers of the peppermint plant.
which are treated by distillaton. One acre
of land will produce about eleven pounds
na1 II ic
perfumery and to flavor confectionery and
cordials. Peppermint cordals are favorite
drinks in Europe. The oil is also employed
for medicinal purposes, being popular
household remedy and highly recommended
Tor childrenS complaints 1t is an i'm
portant agent in the treatment of cholera
One OF the most interesting essential oils
Is the so-called altar of roses. The COM
mercial supply of the world is obtained
from a patch of ancient Thrace. now called
Bulgaria, along the southern slopes OF the
balkans There grows a kind of rose which
Tar excelS all other varieties in profuSe-
ness of bearing. A good plant will produce
l.OoO flowers in season. The expectation
OF these rose trees is prohibited by the
government. They are set out in the fields
so as to alternate in rows with grape vines
and kitchen vegetables. Nearly every farm
err distils the oil from his own flowers, the
process being conducted in the most primi-
tive fashion ina ginable.
The farmers adulterate their oil to a con-
siderable extent with geranium oil and
ginger-grass oil. The product is put up In
squatty TASKS. holding one to ten pounds
each, and these are sewn UP in white wool
len cloths. At Constantinople it is trans
ferred into small gilded bottles for export,
and in this shape 1t comes to market. The
annual harvest of roses utilized in this
way represents money value of about
4,UoO,OUO. Altar of roses is also manu-
featured in Persia and India. The petals
are distilled, and the rose water thus OBJ
tained is placed in shallow vessels COW
muslin TO Ouf nd in
sects. At intervals the oil is SKINNED off
the surface with feather and deposited in
bottles, which are finally sealed with wax
Theoretically.
Where Oils Are Prepared.
Essential oils from fresh flowers are pre-
pared chiefly at Grasse. Cannes, Nice and
Monaco. where thousands Of acres are
planted with tasmines tuberoses, jonquils,
aoacias, violets. &c. Distillation is employ
ed to some extent. but the delicate favors
required by perfumers can only be OBJ
tanned by a comparatively slow and trouble
some process termed "enfieurage" Frames
of glass are covered with thin layer of
purified lard, upon which the petals of the
fresh-plucked blossoms are laid. The es-
sential oil OF the flowers, having an affinity
for the lard passes over to the latter. As
fast as the petals fade, they are replaced
with fresh ones. The grease thus perfumed
is called "pomade" When 1t is soaked in
spirits of wine the alcohol takes up the
Oil from the lard and becomes Cologne"
The oil obtained from violets in this way
is green in color, and its odor is so pene-
trating as to cause headache. The perfume
is rendered agreeable by much dilution
The yield Is small, and Is consumed in the
manufacture of the finest perfumery Wang
ylang Is from the flowers of tree that
grows in the Philippine Islands. The oil
has an exquisite odor. and was formerly
held at enormous price. At present II
costs about $40 a pound. Orange-hower OIL
known commercially as 'neroli." is also
very costly. Perfumers employ it consider
ably. Also they utilize oil from the
flowers and leaves Of the myrtle. Lavender
oil is distilled from the blossoms of that
plant-extensively cultivated in England
and Francois an ingredient of expensive
waters and soaps. Many kinds of flow
ers not now used for this purpose, such as
the hyacinth and mignonette. would afford
valuable oils.
Italy supplies the world with orange and
lemon oils. which are obtained from the
rinds of those fruits. Calabria and Sicily
are the chief producing districts. 'Berga-
mot" is the oil from a small orange of
agreeable flavor. The same remark applies
to mandarin" and "tangarin." Various
processes are employed One consists in
wrapping the peels in linen cloth and sub
jecting them to pressure Thus Is obtained
turbid milky fluid, consisting mainly Of
oil and water. This is set in a cool place
to clarity. The oil comes to the top. and is
readily separated; but further treatment is
required to remove the vegetable fbers. in
visible to the naked eye, which float in 1t.
If permitted to remain they would decom-
pose and spoil the flavor. Rergamot Oil Is
mostly used in perfumery. When it is
stored, light and air must be carefully ex-
cluded, or 1t will spoil.
The Best Lemon OIL.
The best lemon oil Is obtained by what is
called the sponge process" To begin with.
the rinds are soaked for twenty minutes
in water. Then a workman takes each
piece in turn, and. holding 1t against a
hard-grained sponge, grinds the outer sur
face forcibly with two or three dexterous
twists Of the wrist. This breaks the oil
cells. and the oil is taken up by the sponge,
which at intervals Is squeezed into re-
ceptacle. The liquid obtained is clarified in
the manner already described. Another
method is to roll the fruit gently and
quickly around in a pan, the inside of which
IS covered with little spikes. Tie latter
prick the oil sacks and let out the OIL which
escapes through a hole in the bottom of the
pan.
Our consul general to Italy reports to the
Department of State that practically all of
the orange and lemon oils which reach the
United States are sophisticated to a great
extent. Bergamot, the most costly, is adul-
terated with oil of sweet orange, turpen-
tine mineral oil. pitch and essence of pep
Hprmint IL