The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-01
MAKING ALTAR OF ROSES.
A GREAT HARVEST TIME IN SOUTH
EASTERN EUROPE.
Bulgaria aud uonmeiia Are Centres or the Tn
duury-The Process or Diutiiintion and the
sreat Value or the FRAGRANT Product.

tfent NnIWc VI Nbt LrhHFhHh FrOuuci.
From The 81. Louis Globe. Democrat.
Gathering in the rose crop in southeast Europe
is now in progress, and in the regions where
roses are grown as Il commercial product the
rose harvest is as much of an event as the
strawberry crop in some parts of the United
States. 1t Is stimatc that from tho middle OF
May until the middle OF July over thrce-quar
tiers OF q million of people, mostly women and
girls, arc employed in gathering the roses. and
the fact that this flower. generally esteemed
solely for its beauty, should. by means OF its
petals, furnish employment and bread TO 80
many people is one of the most singular
phenomena OF our complicated civilization. The
belle In Paris. London. or New York needs u per-.
fume, and the gazclle.oyod daughters OF tho
Gnnges, the jetty negro women OF Egypt, the
vcilcd wives of tho tawny Arabs in southern
Algeria; French and Spanish peasant beauties
in Herault and Bouchcs.du .Ithonc; italian girls
OF Lombardy; maids not exactly OF Athens, but
of Greece and Its isles; the wives Of turbaned
Turks and shabby.cappcd Bulgarinns, all con.
tribute to fill the demand.
The fair lady TO whom the essence or altar Of
roses is only a delightful perfume has little
idea OF tho labor necessary to produce Il, OF its
Importance to tho country where 1t is made. or
Of the races OF people who, through its produc.
tlon, contribute TO her pleasure. II Is, however.
but ono illustration OF the fact that no part OF
tho worlds inhabitants Is Independent Of the
rest. Just as thousands OF men and women In
Sumatra and Bornco, in Ccylon and India. find
the means Of Subsistence from the taste OF the
civilized races for pepper. SO men and women
earn bread in Asia and Africa because in France.
England, and America fashionable people have
u ~taste,for Il rich perfume.
The antiquity of the rose Is DO great that all
account Of Its origin has been lost. 1t Is not
mentioned In tho Biblical writings earlier than
the reign OF Solomon, but the allus!on to IL then
made Is such as TO Indicate that the flower had
already long been known. for the essence OF
roses was extensively used in Jerusalem and
Judea during the reign OF the luxurious and
much.married king. In Egypt the rose is de-.
picted on q number OF very carly monuments,
believed to date from 5000 to 3506 d C., and in
the tomb OF an Egyptian princess, disintcrred q
ccsily sealed Walls were found. which. when open.
ed, contained genuine altar OF roses. so that the
perfume are vain. Rose water, or the essence
Of roses, 10 mentioned by Homer In the "Iliad;'
Homer and SOLOMON were nearly conteinpora.
borrowed the idea OF lis Manufacture from thSs'
Egyptians. and these, for aught anybody can
ten. may have had Il from the Indians or from
the Chinese, for the latter claim for each OF their
discoveries and Inventions y most marvellous,
Of those flowers which. by the people OF every
land. are taken for granted as SO we'll known as
t. n need : s, mo fIeseF5 ae, IN, and sxa hardly snyD, mention a on 70, for
globe. with the solitary exception OF Aus.
r rraInn;. produces r. NC no wild I rSsss; Even the frozen
but two or three months, and Is at best u season
which may be described as very late In the fall.
tirecniand., KamchatEa and northern, Siberia
found in the proper season an abundance Of
which call at Spitzbergen come of shore with
bouquets of the native Spitzbergen rose. All
over 1000 species OF tho wild rose known to
bo,anists: and the varieties are innnmeraole.
many p SETn,a Of ,he w pTGdu[ not osS on 5Gsf IN u ,S SrG meIe IN
borhood o., Paris. but more extensively in the
south Of France; roses arc cultivated, for the
3o.oOO.oO pounds OF rose leaves are annually
collected By the French for the purpose OF max.
and Tunis the rose was formerly grown much
moro than at present, for the competition OF
other places has become SO severe that the Al.
gorians and Tunisians are now turning their
attention 10 the geranium. which in that mild
year, Ia a more profitable crop. The valley OF
damascus Yields a tpe quality Of altar. and
not only for i!s roses, but also for the quality of
It's product In northern and central India rose
pur. near Benares. there are miles upon miles OF
rose gardens. really fields, in which the rose is
T So.s eaisur FOR 4 p iSwfss; i for rlt ths . ana 81 s!e Ky
product. and during the last t,yenty five or thirty
years the altar or essence OF the rose has become
one or the most importcnt commercial resources
OF bulgaria. The rose fields OF Roumnnin are
found on the southern slopes OF the Balkans and
| 80 b"''' $1,000 ~ - ~ AHc ikiNtI .ltlltLh
There is a district in Itoumania over 100 miles
long by 30 in width, which. by climate and soil. is
rose. and almos: the whole OF this region is given
up to rose fields. The soil is light loan, in.
clined TO sandiness: the drainage is good. while
tho cold winds from central Russia are DETECTED
by the Balkans, that here act as a protecting
Mediterranean and .Egean seas, and the warm
southern breeze, laden with moisture. furnishes
i hUSh the sp rHlms IN a Sfhr amld ahq S rerY fay Spd Gn ,o
me growth or the plant. The roses are known to
and are propoEated by layering the shoots. tho
layers being placed in rows ahout six feet apart.
In three years the plants are in full bearing. and
%oontinuS at their best for tiye years longer. when
the quality and the quantity OF the product be-
gin to detcriorate. the plants are rooted UP and
plants are continually coming on. consequently
No more charming spectacle is presented in
the world than q Roumeiian roso Held during
balkans closing the northern landscape, the
plain leading off TO the Martha toward the
south and thousands Of acres covered with rose
had suddenly burst into blossom. Everywhere
through tho fields in swarms and armies are the
and girls. for the rose harvest must DO
quickly gathered IL at al, ana tho popuia.
ployinent during the season. rhe time Of the
harvest, ia known for 400 or 800 miles IN
from Bosnia. Seryia. northern Bulgaria, Al.
Lania: and even from Greece. Rouinanin. and
. NiIlO' " u n IhIl III KaNIltTlnk the roses.
The harvest lasts. M already stated, about eight
weeks. and during this time any one who can
pick roses can md IA job in tho southern
Balkans. Coming from all directions. the
plckers. of course, represent types OF half a
dozen races. There are Greek women with
(aun,y little caps, Albanian women with the
hcaddress peculiar TO that region. Turkish
women with nun like hoods. made on lie
order OF II motOrnan's helmet. with "A little
silt in front, through which The black
eyes. OF The hnrcm beauty glitter; Itou.
Inanian and Seryian women. Bulgarian and
RUSSIAN peasant girls. with every sort OF head
dress, anu IN many instances emitting the head.
dress altogether. All nTe alike, however, in ono
respect, that They, during. the season. deco.
rate themselves with roses. The Turkish women
present a grotesqnc appearance, with clusters OF
roses pinned IN their hinge round hoods. The
Grccks and Bulgarinns make gurlands for bend,
meek am waist, Everybody wears ro-es: even
the old Turk or Greek who manages the retorts
makes himself beautiful with n boutOnnierr or
bunch OF roses fastened on his turban or bear.
Every picker is equipped with u basket hold.
my about wo bushels. for rose leaves are light,
ana there Is u considerable difference in weight
bet wccn Two bushels Of rose leaves and fwo