The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-05
OLD AND NEW FRAGRANCE.
Wisdom in the Use of Herbs of AuId
Lang S3ue.

ETom the London telegraph
Now that women are devo;ing themselves
seriously to horticulture as a calling,
this country is likely 10 witness a con-
siderable revival IN the culture Of sweet
scented plants and flowers. not only for
their charm bat for their utiIitarian val
lie. We buy very largely annually Of all
descriptions of perfumes. both in their
makeup forms as scents and as essential
oils TO be incorporated with soaps and
toilet washes. and there Is not the slight
est reason that we should not supply our
own requirements of lavender pepper
mint. camomile. and other things much
more largely than We do. as there is no
question that they would be, under present
conditions, far more remuneTatIye crops
than many that are now grown
There Is material IN plenty 20 write
history OF fashionable taste IL the matter
OF scents which from the dimmest days Of
antiquity have always been marked aC-
compartment Of luxury and refinement. It
is not necessary 10 go back to the early
Egyptians and Persisns to discover this
appreciation Of delightful doors There is
quite . little library OF books written dur
ing the sixteenth and seventeenth ceutu-
ries on the place OF fragrant flowers in the
garden, and quaint old Gervase Markham
in one of these observes. What Is more
deljghtsome than an infinite variety Of
understanding EoWers-the violet nothing
behind the rest for smelling Sweetly. and
July flowers which have the name Of
cloyes-for their scent. and the damask
rose most pleasant to sight and smeII2"
Within the last three or four years
there has come a revival in the old fash
ion Of the eighteenth century for a bowl
Of potpourri. and those queer old com
monpIace books Of our great graDdmoth-
ers filed with elegant extracts, - n man
uscript paintings, notices, posies- and
recipes have been ransacked 10 find the
formula by which a lasting compound Of
delicately blended bouquets could be
made Among the most favored OF gifts
during the lately ended season of goodwill
we're the valuable porcelain or silver
bowls tc contain this Id-worid nosesay-
Comparatively few new perfumes have
been added 10 those available for extracts
during the last four or five decades Far
and away the NEST widely sold scent Of
the present day IS that Of the Parma
violet. which. in its highest and most re-
fined type is produced from the towers
grown on hundreds Of acres on the shores
of the Mediterranean, and especia : in
the vicinity Of Gras5e. But this IS I de
cidedly costly and somewhat elusive per
fume 10 manipulate. for trade purposes,
even with the oTris root. which IS N IN
certain crop. and is at times excessively
expensive Chemistry has therefore S ep-
ped in. and with q substance known as
"ion0ne" provides a crude and raukeT
substitute Japan has given Us one or
Two slightly different doors ia recent
years. but European taste does n~t great
y care for the distinctly Oriental per
fumes. To most people OF the West. the
strong clinging redoieuce Of sandal wood
oil, SO greatly Ioved-in the zenanas of In
dia IS really disagreed BILE.
At the present moment scents that are
largely coming into demand are those dis
TILED from our own garden flowers. as
honeysuckIe. heIiotrOpe, yeTbena, end
stock, which must be OF the subtlest and
most delicate order Many women now
adays affect one scent as peculiarly Their
owe. and by means Of sachets set within
their warIrobes. tiny tablets concealed
somewhere in their dress. q fragment OF
powder strewn over note paper or per
sonaI belongings suggest dainty. but
scarcely desirable. eXhalatiOn OF charac-
terIstic Fragrance But anything strong
OF oyerpOweTing is in the worst post Die
form. and IS never now adorted BIZ women
of fastidious taste The Queen has always
shown a marked dislike Of powerful
scents. and ladies who are aware OF this
never carry highly scented flowers. as gar
denlas or tube roses. in their bouquets at
the drawing rooms. Among Her Ncjes-
y : -1EDI4-t FGl lLL4t-2s LADNtFt1r Bll 4dSL-
toned English lavender water. with its
refreshing properties. has always held a
high place
Orange flower water IS perhaps less used
in this country than upon the continent,
but it viii give some idea of the extent
TO which this is manufactured TO mention
that Of a single distiIlery IN the south Of
France crushed a half million pounds In
weight OF the blossoms every season.
while for rose water some $50 900 pounds
OF petals are daily distilled during the
month Of May around Grasse- The world
seems to be calling again that cur fore
fathers showed sound sense n the use they
made of sweet herbs and aromatic plants
as preyentives Of Infection and the Gu
calyptus has established its position. not
only as a value Bile safeguard against ma
laria. but also as a powerful dIsiCfectant.
and. Judging fro n the keen interest that
is now being taken in the whole quest zion
Of scents and extracts, the dawring cen
fury will see them used more and more
for hyslenic reasons. as we'll as tor a
pleasant luxury
Drink the most popular beer il Washington,
HcuriCh's Marrzen Senate, and Lager.