The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-01

ud4iN CoiHlIlS on. consequently no portion
of his ground goes to waste
No more charming spectacle Is presented
in the world than Roumelian rose field
during picking season; the azure sky
above, the gray Balkans closing the north
ern landscape, the plain leading off to the
Martha toward the south and thousands
OF acres covered with rose bushes in full
bloom. 1t is as though the earth had SUD
denly burst into bloom. Everywhere
through the fields in swarms and armies
are the pickers, men, women and children
boys and girls, for the rose harvest must
be quickly gathered if at all. and the pop
ulation finds easy and we'll remunerated
employment during the season. The time
of the harvest is known for 400 or SEQ
miles in every direction and whole fami-
lies migrate from Bosnia, Servia, North
ern Bulgaria, Albania and even from
Greece Roumania and Asia Minor to take
part In gathering the roses. The harvest
lasts, as already stated, about eight weeks
and during this time any one who can
pick roses can find a job in the Southern
Balkans. Coming from all directions, the
piekers of course. represent types of half
dozen races. There are Greek women
with jaunty little caps; Albanian women
with the headdress peculiar to that region
Turkish women with nun-like hoods,
made on the order of a motorman's he'll
met, with little slit In front, through
which the black eyes Of the harem beauty
glitter; Roumanian and Servan women,
Bulgarian and Russian peasant girls, with
every sort of head-dress, and in many in
stances emitting the head-dress altogether.
All are alike, however, In one respect,
that they, during the season, decorate
themselves with roses, The Turkish wo-
men present grotesque appearance with
clusters of roses pinned on their huge
round hoods: the Greeks and BugarianS
make garlands for head. neck and waist.
Everybody wears roses; even the old Turk
or Greek who manages the retorts makes
himself beautiful with boutonnier or a
bunch of roses fastened on his turban or
bearskin cap.
Every picker Is equipped with basket
holding about two bushels, for rose leaves
are light, and there Is a considerable DIFF
ference in weight between two bushels OF
rose leaves and two bushels of potatoes.
When the baskets are full they are emp
tied into sacks. aud as soon as possible
these are transported to the houses and
there converted into essence. Picking be-
gins at early dawn, when the dew Is on
the leaves, and is continued until 10 or II
o'clock, or during cloudy days, all day
long. When the sun Is shining brightly
labor Is discontinued toward noon, and
recommended at or 5, and then work Is
carried on as long as the pickers can see
Labor Is paid for by the pound, and tally
men are in attendance to weigh the bags
which are placed at the end Of the rows
and when weighed and recorded donkey
power is used to convey them to the cen
trail stations. Even the donkeys are not
forgotten in the general desire to orna'
ment everything and everybody with gar
lands during the rose season, and the pa
tent asses present a singularly incon'
gruous appearance as they trudge along
under the huge sacks of rose leaves, the
woody necks of the bearers garlandec
with roses, an occasional facetious driver
sometimes ornamentng the ears and tai
of the beast with large punches of the
flowers that in other countries are a lux
ury.
The factories where the altar of roses
is made are primitive, but quite sufficient
for all practical purposes They are mere
sheds; sometimes the walls are Of brick
more frequently of stone, occasionally
| of plank. on one side stand:
the retorts in rows, copper aiem
bics about three feet in hight, will
| a brick furnace underneath. Each alem
bic has a capacity of 10 liters, liter be
| ing about a standard quart, but for
charge only seventy-hve liters of waite
| are used and ten kilos OF roses, a klo
| gram being two and two-tenths pounds
or about seventy-five quarts of water q
| twenty-five pounds Of rose leaves. Th'
process OF distilation is carried on for al
| hour when the flask which Is used TO re
| ceive the distilled product contains ter
| liters of oil and condensed water; 1t Is
removed, the alembic is recharged, and the
process begun anew, while the flask witt
| the product Is set aside; the altar OF rose
| or oil which floats upon the surface Il
subsequently taken off by cooling and con
| densation.
The quantity of the product as proper
| toned to the amount Of rose leaves uset
varies considerably. Some kinds of roses
produce the altar in much greater abun
dance than others, the product also vary
| ing in different countries, and It has beer
| found. by experience that the season hai
much to do with the quantity of altar; I
humid spring, with intervals Of warm sun
| shine, causing the petals to yield more lib
| orally than Is the case in a dry, hot sea
son. In Bulgaria 5000 kilos Of rose leaves
produce one kilogram of the altar, ant
this is the yield of about one hectare o.
| "a acres. A kilogram OF altar Is wortl
from 800 to 200 francs, say an average
of 1000, and thus the Bulgarian realizes
about 800 an acre on his crop. a very fai
return for the amount invested and thu
outlay. In France the production is abou
the same, or 5000 pounds Of rose leave
to a pound Of altar and II IL computed
that the leaves of 10000 roses are neces
! Algeria the roses are much less product
| i've, but in Cashmere and at Ghazipur
is estimated that from 800 TO 1000 pound
of petals produce one pound OF the es
sence. only the red rose Is used for man
ufacturing the essence; the white or vel
low varieties, while fragrant to the nos
trils appearing 10 lack the essential OF
which forms so valuable a product
II Is not generally known that the at
| tar or otto Of rose, as Il Is sometimes call
ed, Is one Of the most valuable and costly
substances In the world. An ounce OF IN
pure altar Is worth from 500 to $50, an,
when II Is remembered that the marke
price OF gold IL only about $50 an ounce
some idea OF the value OF this marvelou
oil may be gained. A few years ago som
dredgers off Coney Island brought nj
from the depths OF the sea a box, and
opening II, ascertained that II cOntalne,
nearly 100 ounce walls OF altar OF roses
1t was remembered that fifty or sxt,
years before an East 1ndiaman had beef
wrecked near the point where the box wa
found, and the box had undoubtedly form
ed part OF the cargo. The oil was un
injured by Its long subrpersion In sea wa
ter, and the dredgers realized forum
from a box little more than fourteel
inches square. The value OF the annua
| yield OF the Balkan rose district alon
Z