Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1902-03-20
ALTAR OF YLANG-YLANG
THE Philippine ISLANDS THE SOURCE
or THIS PERFUME.

IhE PHlltPlNE ISLANDS The SCURCE
or TINS PERFUME.
Now In Great Demand-Manila Oil of
Ylang-YlanR Sells For From $40 to
85B q Pound, and the Demand Ex-
ceeds the Supply.
Among other things, it appears now
that by capturing the Philippines we
have captured the chief source of the
famous altar Of ylang-ylang, almost as
costly as altar of roses and equally
delicious in perfume.
The Division of Insular Affairs of
the War Department has compiled
some information about it. Altar Of
ylang-ylang is obtained from the flow
ers Of the ylang- -ylang tree a cultivated
and wild tree often attaining a height
Of sixty feet. 1t belongs to the custard
apple family, and its dropping greenish
yellow flowers three inches long are
of extraordinary fragrance.
The popularity of violet as the latest
favorite in the list of perfumes is
threatened by the altar of ylang-ylang
Of the Philippines. Colonia Agrfppina,
the choice perfume of the Romans, so
named in honor of the wife of the En-
peror Cfaudius, after enjoying in mod
ern times an unrivaled lead for nearly
two centuries as the eau de Cologne,
from the city of the Rhine, the first
place of it's modern manufacture on
an extensive scale, yielded to the more
lasting fragrance of the sachet in evi-
dence in all forms, in all places and
among all classes and conditions of
women.
The altar of roses, the famed es-
sential oil Of the damask rose of Ka-
zanlik on the sunny slope of the Bal
kans, finds it's equal in perfume in the
Philippine product, and the ylang-
ylang tree is a better yielder Of es-
sence from the flower, and therefore
less costly basic essence for the per-
tuners art.
The ylang-ylang, sometimes spelled
ilang-ilang, while Indigenous to many
parts of tropical Asia, reaches it's great
est perfection in the Philippine Islands,
where it is a favorite among the ma
tives. Besides it's value as an altar
in preparations for the hair and toilet
waters, it is also held to possess cura-
tive virtues in tooth and other aches
and pains. In a preparation of cocoa
nut oil known to commerce as Macas-
sar oil, for the hair, altar of ylang-
ylang is the perfume.
The perfumers Of Europe and, to
less degree, of the United States, makes
1t the base of some of their most costly
extracts. The Manila oil is practically
without competition in the markets
of the Western nations on account Of
superiority, and even at from $40 to
500 pound the supply is unequal to
the demand.
Hitherto the United States supply
has come through Germany or France.
Together with England those countries
have a monopoly of the product, which
Is generally secured in advance under
contract for the entire output.
The tree is common to many locali-
ties south of Manila. It is found chief
ly in the well populated provinces and
islands, and the natives say that it
thrives best near the habitations of
man. The propagation in plantations,
by seed or cuttings about twenty feet
apart, each way QOs trees to the acre),
is easy and the growth rapid in al
most ANY soil. The first flowers ap-
pear in the third year, the eighth year
yielding often as high as 100 pounds,
the bloom occurring in every month.
The greatest yield is from July to De
cember.
The process Of converting the long,
greenish yellow fragrant petals of the
flower into essence is by the simplest
form Of distillation, using merely water
and the choicest flowers. No chemicals
OF any kind are required. The best
quality is clear as distilled water and
fragrant. The second quality is yel-
lowish and smoky. The oil is drawn
from the bottom Of glass separator,
the water remaining. The oil is then
filtered through talcum, and is ready
for the market.
Seventy-ive pounds of flowers yield
about one pound Of oil. Flowers are
worth from eight to fifteen cents gold
per pound. The cost Of manufacture
is placed at 81 a pound. The yield in
the case Of altar Of roses is small,
100 pounds Of rose leaves producing
but one ounce Of OIL
There are whole Towering groves of
ylang-ylang trees in many parts of
Southern Luzon and the Visayan ISL
ands.-New York Herald.
Against Law to Kill Eagles.
The discovery has just been made
through the prosecution of a hunter
that there is a law on the statute
books of Illinois which provides pen
atty Of SIS fine and Imprisonment in