Evening star., 1902-08-22
FACTS ABOUT PERFUME
THE SKILL LIES IN EXTRACTING
PLEASING SCENTS.
Raw Material Resembles Lard in Gen.
eral Appearance - 1t Contains Es-
sence of Various Blooms.
From the Chicago Trihunc.

From the Chicago Tribune
Practically all OF the high grade perfume
that finds its way to the dressing tables OF
Chicago women and spreads its odor
through the slim necks OF handsomely
wrought atomizers comes to the city In the
form Of raw, fatty material ineased In tin
cans weighing from twenty-five TO fifty
pounds.
To the average person the mention OF
perfume suggests little more than a row or
fancy bottles on the druggists showcase,
a combination OF pleasing dainty odors ar
tistic labels and glass shoppers. Their idea
of what perfume really is and the processes
through which II passes before It reaches
the druggists counter does not, as a rule,
extend beyond these points.
visit TO the quaint shops and labora-
tories of perfume makers shows just how
little is known Of this common commodity,
and how numerous are the chemical form
ulas that must be applied before these inn
prisoned odors that travel thousands OF
miles from foreign lands. become the real
article that commands such respectful
financial consideration in the commercial
world.
The material from which the high grade
perfume is extracted is not altogether un-
like lard in general appearance and consist
ency when IL arrives In Chicago. IL is a
combination of melted beef or mutton fat
and olive oil and reaches the local market
in alright cans This fatty substance is
laden with the essence Of whatever flower
is 10 be reproduced in odor and IL then be-
comes the work of the perfumer to extract
this odor by the application OF spirits to
the raw material
Where Skill is Evident.
Ir this process, to a great extent. the
success of the manufacturer lies. He
must show great skill in reclaiming the
odor. His chief aim is to preserve the
freshness OF the flower odor and at the
same time give IL a body so that II will
be reasonably durable. This is delicate
process, for IL he produces an odor that
viii last too long 1t will In time prove dis
agreeable. with the result that an unpopular
product Will be placed on the market. The
value of the odor depends altogether upon
the skill OF the manufacturer in bouquet
Ing. as he terms it. the delicate scents
brought to him in these large cans of no.
matum, term applied to the raw material
on account of its similarity to ordinary po-
made.
There are other ways In which the per-
fumer must show equal skill. He must
know positively the component parts OF
each flower with which he has to deal so
as to be able to form the scent combina-
tlons which, after all, are the real seat Of
the great variety of odors sought after by
those who think well of their scent bot
ties"
AS a matter Of fact comparatively few
odors possess the distinctive properties of
any one individual flower Most of the
long list of scents known 10 the trade are
produced by combinations OF what the man.
ufacturer calls bouquets The reasons for
this are from his point of view obvious.
Years OF experience and contact with the
assembled tastes of fastidious people have
shown him that odors are not satisfactory
to the consumer IL bottled up in their nat
ural state, as they are too volatile and
fieeting.
Combining Scents.
Another reason for combining the scents
of different flowers is to be found in the
desire for odors that cannot be produced
from the natural blossoms such as crab
apple. plum, heliotrope and a great variety
of others. In order to faithfully produce
the odors of these flowers the manufactures
makes a careful analysis Of each, finds out
ITS component parts, and then sets about
to reproduce the odor by combining differ
ent extracts A good many perfumes bear
ing the name of one flower another do
not contain one drop of that flowers fra
grance. This is a little secret which per
fumers do not care to discuss, for they
have found that many persons lose their
preference for an odor when once informed
OF the innocent deception.
Practically all the flowers from which
hish-grade perfume is extracted are grown
in southern France, Bulgaria and Italy.
Experience has shown that the soil and
climate of these countries produce greater
percentage OF fragrance than can be Sc
cured elsewhere. The raising of flowers
for perfume manufacture has been at
tempted in the United States but never
has proven successful
Favorite Flowers.
Flowers which figure most conspicuously
in the perfume industry are roses, jasmine.
orange blossoms, tuberoses, violets.
cassia blossoms and the rssadia The cul-
tivation of flowers for scent making con-
stitutes one of the chief industries in To-
calities where they thrive and flourish. The
blossoms are gathered carefully by pro-
fessional pickers, usually before sunrise.
while the dew is yet on them, because the
density of their odor is less after the sun
becomes hot.
Various methods resorted to in ex-
tracing the odors. The affinity of fats
for the scent of flowers is the one method
which makes 1t possible to carry dainty
odors to this country In bulk in tin cans
After the flowers have been gathered they
are thrown upon layers of this fatty SUBJ
stance. They are left there for twelve to
forty-eight hours, at the end OF which
time they are renewed. BY repeating the
operation many times the fat becomes
strongly impregnated with the scent of the
flower and is ready to be placed in tin cans
and sent over the world. Sometimes liquid
fats are used, the flowers being thrown
upon melted beef or mutton fat contained
in metal or china receptac,es.
The essential oils also extracted by
distilation. The flowers are carried from
the field In huge bales where they are
placed in convenient proximity to stills.
where the essence is condensed and fails
with the water used in the process into a
special vessel. Here, owing to the differ