Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-07

tied into sacks, and as soon as possfhlc
these are trans ported to the houses and
there converted into essence. Picking he
gins 1T early dawn, when uile dew is on
the leaves, and Is continued until 10 ar Ii
o'clock. or during cloudy days. all day
long. When the sun Is shining hrirltlv
labor Is discontinued towards noon ana
recommended at 4 or !. and then work Il
carried on as long as the pickcrs can sels.
Labor Is paid for by the pound. and tally
men are i'll attendance to weigh the bags
which are placed at the end of IN, rows
and when weighed and recorded donkey
power is used 10 convey them to the cen
tral statiot.s. Even the donkeys are NOT
forgotten in the general desire to orna-
meat everything and everybody with gar
lands during the rose season. and ths. pa
tient asses present singularly incon-
gruous appearance as they trudge along
under the huge sacks OF rose leaves the
Woells neckS of the bearers garlaudel
with roses. an occasional facetinils driver
sometimes ornlmenting the ears and vail
of the beast with large lunches of the
flowers that in other countries are a lux
ury.
The factories whore the altar of rose is
made are primitive but quite sufficient
for all practical purposes They are mere
sheds; sometimes lie walls are of brick
irore frequently of stone. occasionally of
plank. on one side stand the retorts in
rows. copper alelnbics about 3 feet In
height, with a brick furnace underneath
Each alenbie has Il capacity OF 40 liters.
a liter being about a standard quart but
water are used and ten kilos OF roses d
ki,ogramrne being ~ pounds or about
seVerty-iive quarts Of water to % pounds
of rose leaves. The process of dlstiliation
Is carried on for an hour. when the flask
which is used to receive the distilled
product contains ten liters Of oil and con
dcnsesl water. it Is removed. the alembic
IL recharged, and the process begun anew,
while the flask with the product Is set
aside; the altar of rose or oil which floats
upon the surface is subsequently taken
eff by cooling and condensation
The quantity of the product as proper
toned TO the amount OF rose. leaves used
varies considerably. Some kinds of roses
produce the altar in much greater abnnd-
ance than others. the product also vary
ing in different countries and ii has hean
much to do with the quantity OF altar. Il
humid spring, with intervals Of warm
sunshine, causing The petals TO yield more
literally than Is the case IN a dry hot
season. In bulgaria COCO kilos of roSse-
leaves produce one kilogramme Of the at
tar and this Is the yield OF about one
hectare. or two and oue-haif acres. A
lSii0grarnmc of altar Is worth from 500 to
1870 francs, say an average OF 1850, and
thus the bulgarian realizes about 500 an
acre 0n his crop. very fair return fer
the amount invested and the outlay. In
France the production IS about the same.
CT SgtD pounds Of rose leaves 10 q pound
or altar, and 1t Is computed that tins,
leaves Of 10000 roses are necessary 70
produce orc ounce of the oil. In Algeria
the roses are much less productive but ia
Cashmere and AZ Ghazipnr il Is estimated
that from latN 10 2H pounds of petals
produce one pound of the essence. Only The
red rose is used for manufacturing the
ezseneo; the white or yellow varieties.
while fragrant to the nostrils, Appearing
to lack the essential oil which forms 50
valuable product.
Il is not generally known that The altar
or otto of rose as 1t IS sometimes called.
is ore Of the most valuable and costly