The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-11

| may be grown profitably for perfume in
| properly chosen acreage in the coast
| belt of the South and in Southern Cali
| fornia, where an oil of geranium can
be produced equal to the best French
article.
1T seems likely that violets may be
grown FOR perfumery in this country,
though only in the warmer regions.
Their culture for general purposes has
already been highly developed in Cali
fornia where sometimes they are grown
in the shade of great oaks. But, where
purposes of perfumery are taken into
view, it must be considered that the
cost of growing and of gathering so
small a flower, in the quantities re-
CURED for the extraction of it's odor is
very large. Thus, even in Europe, the
cost of the perfume is SO great that true
violet In pure state, though in much
demand, ia little used, a composition Of
orrls root with other ingredients being
commonly substituted for it. Recently
the chemists have succeeded in evolv-
ing in the laboratory an artificial violet
perfume that Is verp like the real.
nevertheless violets are now extensive
ly grown in the south of France for the
extraction of their perfume.
There is no reason to doubt that the
tuber rose could be grown successfully
and on large scale as perfumery
plant in Florida and some of the other
Southern states. In the south of France
1t is cultivated on an immense scale, it's
perfume being extracted by the So
called empowering process. This pro-
cess consists in placing the blossoms in
contact with thin layers OF grease
spread on panes of glass in frames, the
flowers being renewed from day to day.
Fats of all sorts have special affinity
for perfumes absorbing them readily,
and thus the grease, which is a refined
lard, takes UP the odor from the bios
SONS. becoming at length saturated
with it, Then the lard is stepped in al
cohol, which has a still more pro-
nounced affinity for perfumes, and it
withdraws the odorifacous essential oil
from the grease. Thus eau de cologne
is made.
THE perfume of jasmine is said to
be almost the only one that cannot be
initiated by combination of other odors;
1t is highly priced in the market and
brings a good price. Sometimes more
than 1000 pounds of the essential oil
of this kind of flower is imported into
the United States in year, and the
price, of it has ranged as high as $44
per pound. Experts are of the opinion
that jasmine might be produced for per
fume in this country, warm regions
being selected for the purpose, though
the cultivation of the plants and the
gathering of the flowers would be ex
pensive. Quite otherwise, in point of
cost, is it with the orange, which, while
already yielding large profit to cultiva
tors in this country, might be made to
produce much additional money
through the perfumes which are ex-
tracted from it's blossoms, its leaves and
the rind of its fruit In fact it may be
said that no tree is so profitable to the
flower farmer as the orange. Orange
flowers in extreme southern Louisiana |
possess a stronger odor and proportion
ately more oil than those of any other
Probably you are aware that |
the oil of neroli, distilled from orange |
flowers, is as valuable as altar of roses
by the ounce.
"In California conditions seem to be
favorable for the production of laven-
der, which is plant of the Mat fam
lily, furnishing an essential oil that Is
imported into this country in large
quantities. The plant is a native of
region, but, transplant
ed in ngland, has been so far improved
there as to yield better quality of oil
than is obtained anywhere else, Dur
ng the last five years the United States
has imported nearly $4,000 pounds of oil
IF thyme per annum, the bulk Of which
comes from southern France, but it Is
believed that California might just as
we'll furnish all that Is required of the
article. The same may be said of
'osemary, the altar of which is extern
'ively used in perfumery, and especially
or seeming soap. Eau de cologne
,annot be made without 1t, and to it's
ltimula ting effect is due the refreshing
quality of perfumes containing it, The
of orris root amounts to
lbout 100000 pounds annually. This is
standard article, affording a perfume
that of violet. The part of
he plant utilized is the thick, knotty
which, when taken up and
Tried, slowly develops pleasant odor,
This, being extracted by distillation,
furnishes what is called 'orris butter
"A few American plants already yield
erfume oils on their native ground, and
many others ought to receive attention
rom this point of view Oils of sassa-
ras and wintergreen are distilled in
considerable quantities, and are en-
oyed for seeming and flavoring. Odd
Y enough the oil of wintergreen Is now
reduced almost exclusively from the
weet birch, being chemically identical
18th that of true Wintergreen, and more ,
heaply obtained The wood of the red ,
r pencil cedar yields a finer perfumery {
il than the cedar of Lebanon, and Is c
ow distilled in this country as well as !,
l Germany. The rootstock of the wild I
niger, known in trade as Canada ,
hitch has place in price-lists, and the /
wamp raurel eXhales a powerful aro ,
latic fragrance that might well be +
valuable for soaps and perhaps for r
ner purposes. t
1.-THE chemists are beginning to learn '
ow to reproduce the more valuable /
erfumes in the laboratory, and in this r
-ay they have succeeded in evolving u
'om coal-tar the true scents of new a