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

Los ANGELES, CAL, Jan. 2.--The
beautiful valley Of Grasse, in the
south of France, has always been the
great source Of supply Of perfume tor
the world, and 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 Grassc,
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 perfec-
tion in California. The entire list OF
plants grown to supply material Tor
the perfumery of commerce grows
already in this State, although none
has been raised in quantities suitable
for that purpose. A French perfume
ry company, combined with some
American capitalists, a few years ago,
outlined such an enterprise, to be in
stalled on the big property known as
Baldwin s Ranch, but the scheme was
abandoned. Several small industries
Of this sort are located in different
parts of Southern California and all
are paying we'll, 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 a
man in San Diego, who has been ex-
perimenting 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 the thin end until it can be
drawn out to fine point. Then the
funnel is filled with ice and placed on
rctort stand, with the pointed end
in small glass bottle, whose neck 1t
must not touch. Then the whole
thiog is carried into green house and
placed among the flowers whose oders
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 into the
bottle. a large amount can be gath
cred in a surprisingly short time, and
of very strong quality, for it has been
found thaS 80 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 revolutionize the
perfume industry. For it would do
away with all the combinations with
ambergris, now an essential ingredient
of the finest extracts, and with those
decoctions of orris, musk, bergamot
and chemicals with which it is now
necessary to tone up the manufactur-
cd perfumes, and instead Of these
would give the pure fragrance of the
flower.
A French manufacturer Of perfumes
is making an investigation of the
suitability of this region for his busi-
ness, with the expectation of estab-
fishing plant in Southern California.
| Some of these who are already in the
business on a small scale expect to
enlarge their plants, and all believe
that within a few years this State will
furnish a large part of the raw mate
rial used in this country in manufac-
turing perfumcry, 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 fruit, and the per-
fumc makers think that an important
source Of wealth has been neglected.
The prunings Of orange and lemon
trees and all unripc fruit are distilled
in France to produce 'nerolipe tit
grain. worth from So to 50 Il pound,
and all Of I,uropcs 5 supply of this is
not enough to meet the demand OF he
soap-malscrs. \ good deal of orause
oil is already made here and shipped
TO Eastern CONSUMERS. but as the
orange flowers have to be picked from
trees in order to max the best per
fumc it's manufacture intcrfcrcs with
the orange industry.
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