The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-01-26
Perfume Direct from Flowers.


south of France, has always been the
great source of supply of perfume for
tho world, ard it has almost the sole
source Of what has recently become
fashions chief favorite, the violet.
But Southern California is preparing
to dispute the supremacy Of Grasse,
and before long there will be in this
region big perfume manufactures
which will endeavor to supply domes-
tic consumption. There is not plant
or shrub grown for perfume in the
Mediterranean region of France or
in Italy that does not come to pcrfcc-
tion in California. The entire list of
plants grown to supply material for
the perfumery Of commerce grows
already in this State, although none
has been raised II quantities suitable
for that purpose. A French perfume
ry company, combined with some
American capitalists, Il few years ago
outlined such an enterprise, to be in-
stalled on the big property known as
Baldwins Ranch, but the scheme was
abandoned. Several small Industries
OF this sort are located in different
parts of Southern California and all
are paying well, although they are
conducted on small scales.
Heretofore the only method Of cx-
tracing the perfume Of flowers has
been to cook them in beef fat, but Il
man in San Diego, who has been ex-
pcrimenting with flowers and per
fumes for good many years, has
studied out new method of collect
ing the sweet odors, by which he gets
the fragrance without destroying the
flower He takes Il glass funnel and
heats che thin end until it can be
drawn out to fine point. Then the
funnel is filed with ice and placed on
a rctort stand, with the pointed end
in small glass bottle, whose neck it
must not touch. Then the whole
thing is carried into green house and
placed among The flowers whose odcrs
it is desired to collect. The vapor
which rises from the flowers is filled
with their fragrance, and as it meets
the colder surface of the funnel it is
condensed intro drops on the outside
of the glass and frickles down iuto the
bottle. a large amount can be gath
cred in surprisingly short time, and
Of very strong quality, for it has been
found that 90 per cent. of the contents
of the bottle will be perfume. The
rest is water. But this flower essence
has to be treated with spirito of wine,
or it will become sour. If this new
method is found practicable on large
scale it is likely to revolutionizc the
perfume industry. For it would DO
away with all the combinations with
now eli essential ingredient
of the finest extracts, and with those
decoctions of orris, musk, bergamot
and chemicals with which it is nov
necessary to tone up the manufactur-
CO perfumes, and instead Of these
would give the p1ro fragrance of the
flower.
A French manufacturer of perfumes
is making an investigation of the
suitability Of this region for his bust
ness, with the expectation of estab-
fishing plant in Southern California.
Some of these who are already in the
business on small scale expect to
enlarge their plants, and all believe
that within few years this State will
furnish large part of the raw mate
rial usedin this country in manufac-
turing perfumery, and especially that
used in making violet perfumes.
Some local manufacturers are think
ing Of enlarging their business by fol-
lowing the French method Of utilizing
the waste of orange orchards. So Far
there has been no attempt to use any
thing from the orange groves Of this
State except the fr.;t, and the per-
fume makers think that an important
source Of wealth has been neglected.
The prunings of orange and lemon
trees and al anriDo fruit are DISTILLED
in France to produce "nerolipe-tit-
grain worth from :s3 to 50 pound,
aud ali Of iiurope's supply of this is
not enough to meet the demand of the
soap-makcrs. \ good deal of orange
oil is already made here and shipped
to Eastern consumers, but as the
orange flowers have to be picked from
trees in order to make the best per
fume its manufacture intcrfcrcs with
the orange industry.
How fO he Rpautiful