Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-10-04
How FIavoring Extracts are Made

of flowers, leaves, fruits, seeds, roots,
barks and woods are due, says Rene
Bache, to the presence of essential oils.
Without the latter 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 unexPanded
buds as the Glove; in others IN the
bark, as certain laurels, and in still
others in the outer rind of the fruit,
as the orange and lemon. In South
Germany is found a species Of dittany,
the stem of which is covered with oil
glands that difuse a lemon-like odor.
The country people say that the vap0r
exhaled from it on warm summer
nights will ignite from candle, but
this phenomenon lacks scientific veri-
fcation.
The bulk ofthe worlds supply Of
peppermint oil is produced in the
United States. In the States of New
York and Michigan 100000 pounds of
If are manufactured annually, repre-
senting $4,000 tons Of raw material.
The latter consists wholly Of the fresh
flowers ofthe peppermint plant, which
are treated by distillation. One acre
of land will produce about eleven
pounds of the oil, it is reckoned. 1t
is used for perfumery and to flavor
confectionery and cordials Pepper
mint cordials are favorite drinks IN
Europe. The oil is also employed fol
medicinal purposes, being a popular
household remedy and highly recon-
mended for children complaints. 1t
is an important agent in the treat
ment of cholera.
One Of the most interesting essential
oils is the so-called altar Of roses. The
commercial supply of the world Is OBJ
tained from a patch Of ancient Thracer
new called Bulgaria, along the south,
ern slopes of the Balkans. There
grows a kind of rose which far excels
all other varieties in profuseness oi
bearing. A good plant will produce
1000 flowers in a season. The expor'
tation 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 vegeta-
bios. Nearly every farmer distlIs the
oil from his own flowers, the process
being conducted in the most primitive
fashion imaginable.
The farmers adulterate their oil tC
q considerable extent with geranlum
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 woolen cloths. AT
Constantinople it is transferred lntC
small gilded bottles for export, and II
this shape it comes to market The
annual harvest of roses utilized IN tins
way represent money value OF about
S4,OOO,OOO. Altar of roses Is also
manufactured in Persia and India
The petals are distilled, and the ros'
water thus obtained is placed in shall
low vessels, covered with muslin t.
keep out dust and insects. At inter-
walls the oil is skinned off the surface
with feather and deposited in bot
ties, which is finally sealed with wa'
hermetically.
Essential oils from fresh flowers are
prepared chiefly at Grasse, Cannes
Nice and Monaco, where thousands 0
acres are planted with jasmines, tube
roses, ionquils, acacias, violets, etc
Distillation is employed to some ex'
tent but the delicate havors required
by perfumers can only be obtained b,
a comparatively slow and troublesome
process termed "enfeurage. Frame
of glass are covered with thin laye
of purified lard upon which the petal
of the fresh plucked blossoms are laid
The essential oil of the flowers, havln
an affinity for the lard, passes over t
the latter. As fast as the petals fade
they are replaced with fresh ones
The grease thus prefumed is called
"pomads." When it IS soaked /
spirits of wine, the alcohol takes u
the oil from the lard and become
"cologna. %
The oil obtained from violets in tn
way is green in color, and its odor
so penetrating as TO cause headach
The perfume Is rendered agreeable b
q, much dilution. The yield is small
and is consumed in the manufactuI
of the finest perfumery. Ylang-ylan
is from the flowers of a tree that grow
in the Philippine Islands. The q