The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-31
THE STORY OF ALTAR OF ROSES
Origin Of the Perfume and History Of
Its Manufacture.

New York Times
1t was in the days Of the grandmothers.
or possibly even the great-grandmothers
that the slender little bottle of altar of
roses f1ourished in all its glory. 1t was then
that every fair dame, in her silk-quilted
petticoat and gay-col0red bouffant draper
les, with her picturesque elaborate coiffure
had on the top of her claw-footed high bu-
reau, or in the drawer with her greatest
treasures and daintiest articles of dress. at
least one of the sweet-scented Walls.
They were such pretty little things Of
clear glass, with quaint designs in gold on
the outside, long and slender, pleasant
size to hold in any lady's fair white hand,
and suggesting all sorts Of mysterious
charms of the East, less known then than
now. Within the last few months there has
almost been furore among New York
women for some new-new to New York
and fascinating Eastern perfumes, and they
call to mind the little bottle of altar of
roses, still in existence, but little heard OF
outside of romantic old novels. The new
perfumes are interesting enough in them
selves for at least a passing mention.
First on the list comes the Gul Rea Zee,
a Greek perfume named after the Persian
festival called the Scattering of the Roses,
the festival which was in process of cele-
bration at the time when Lallah Rookh left
Delhi for Cashmere for the celebration or
her nuptials with the young King. Beautt-
full children strewed roses through the
streets of Delhi until every part or the
city was as fragrant as If a caravan OF
musk fran Khoten had passed through It,
There is a sandal-wood perfume, reminiscent
of the sandal-wood boxes, also treasures
of the grandmothers, sweet scented and
beautifully carved, in which she kept her
fads and her love letters. The young woni-
an of to-day takes the perfume in this
altar of roses, is still in existence, hut not
so much household treasure as in years
Fast.
There is Portocal Auzania, orange bios
som; Viorenta oren. violet; Chiche bou-
uuet: and another Eastern treasure that
the girl Of to-day has is a, cream m that nat hf tr
have had. one that ii is guaranteed is made
from the very same recipe as that USED oy
the beauties in the harens OF turkey, ana
that has been used by them since as long
ago as the days of the Roman empire. All
these are interesting but they do not have
the of as hhe very drop
which was the imprisoned fragrance or
acres of beautiful roses.
There is one rose that is devoted to the
manufacture of the altar or the essential
oil. the beautiful red damask rose, the Rosa
Damascena, the very same rose with whicn
the young King had arches made and
thrown from hedge to hedge for two miles
outside of Cashmere along the road which
Lalla Rookh passed on her journey, those
rarest roses from which the Altar Gul,
more precious than gold, Is distilled.
Bulgaria is the chief country from which
comes the altar KaZanalik being the CEN
ter and principal market place. while a
very considerable amount Is also made IN
Germany. From Persia. the land OF ro-
nance and roses. there should be a superior
quality Of the altar. but although il is made
there. the romance which surrounds IL does
| not make II at all superior to that from
| other lands. France has a little, but SUI
perior altar. IL is made in other countries,
| but in comparatively small quantities.
The process of manufacture after the
| fields have been brought to a perfection Of
| bloom is comparatively simple. Much de-
| perfect condition of the flowers. After a
| mild winter with COOL damp. early sum-
mer not too wet too hot though IL may
| be necessary TO resort TO artihcial irriga-
| ton to bring the plant to perfection. the
| flowers come out in fine condition. and a
| large amount Of altar is the result. "A not
| southern wind during the picking in Bull
garia will ruin the crop even there Hot and
/ dry weather during picking is also unfaNor-
| ablefi but not so fatal
The picking Is an interesting process IL
| Is done by the poorer classes of the people
| Each blossom is picked just below the
/ calyx thrown into big baskets provided for
/ the purpose. and then carted away TO tho
distillery which Is near at hand. The
| flowers must be used Immediately or they
| sour and lose their fragrance. The pickine
| is done in June and July, and lasts prac-
| tically a month-frpm the middle or one
| month to the middle of the next
! In the vicinity OF the rose neid In Ger