Evening star., 1902-01-13
GROWING YLANG YLANG
PROFITABLE INDUSTRY OF THE
PHILIPPINES.
The Altar Sells for From $40 to $55 a
Pound and the supply Does Not
Equal the Demand.

insuIar affairs War Department, The fol-
lowing information has been compiled in
response to inquiries from many sources,
particularly with reference to the costly
altar of ylang-ylang:
Among the numerous trees of economic
value in the Philippines many varieties
from which essences or essential oils
may be extracted. Those only used In the
present state Of the industry are the
Wang Wang, Sampaguita and Champaca.
The Ylang-Ylang Qlang-Ilang) is cul-
waited and wild tree often attaining
height of sixty feet. botanicaily known
Cananga odorata Hook) or Unona odoratis-
sima (Bi.}, belonging to the custard apple
family, producing leaves 2E,x6 inches and
dropping greenish yellow flowers three
inches long and of extraordinary fragrance,
from which the celebrated altar of ylang-
ylang. cananga oil or oeum anonae is dis
TILED. The mountain trees produce the
best results. The essence is exported to
France, England, Singapore and China, the
United States demand being small.
The Sampaguita Gasminum Sambac, L.
is plant belonging to the family Oleaceae,
producing white flowers from which
highly priced perfume essence Is extracted
by dist:llation.
The Champaca (Michelia Champaca, L.
IS a garden plant belonging to the family
Magnollaceac, attaining a cOnical-shaped
height of thirteen feet. The flowers, about
dH lIcH III lSHSlI, are very iidSi dHu
produce by dstillation a well-known es-
sence.
Popularity of Violet Threatened.
The popularity of violet as the latest
favorite in the list of perfumes is threaten
ed by the altar Of ylang-ylang Of the
Philippines. Colonia Agrppina, the choice
perfume Of the Romans, so named in honor
of the wife of the Emperor Claudius, after
enjoying in modern times an unrivaled lead
for nearly two centuries, the eau de
colonge 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 evidence In all
forms, in all places and among all classes
and conditions of women.
The altar of roses, the famed essential
oil Of the Damask rose of Kazanlik on the
sunny slopes of the Balkans, finds in the
Philippine product its equal in perfume,
better yielder of essence from the flower.
and therefore less costly basic essence
for the perfumer's art
Perfection in the Philippines.
The ylang-ylang or sometimes spelled
of tropical Asia, reaches its greatest per-
fection in the Philippine Islands, where it
is a favorite among the natives. Besides
it's value as an altar in preparations for
the hair and toilet waters, 1t is also claimed
to possess curative virtues in tooth and
other aches and pains. In preparation of
cocoanut oil, known to commerce as Ma
CAESAR Oil for the hair, altar Of ylang-ylang
Is the perfume
The perfumers of Europe, and to less
degree Of the United States, make 1t the
base of some of their most costly extracts.
The Manila oil is practically without COM
petition in the markets Of the western ma
tions on account Of superiority, and at
from $40 to $55 a pound is unequal to the
demand
bo SllnnlI has
come through Germany or France. To-
gether with England, those countries have
a monopoly of the product, which is gem
orally secured in advance under contract
for the entire output.
Where the YIang-YIang Grows.
The tree, common to many localities
south of Manila, is found chiefly in the
well-populated provinces and islands, it be-
ing said to thrive best near the habitations
of man. The propagation in plantations
by seed or cuttings about twenty feet apart
each way 0OS trees to the acre. is easy and
the growth is rapid in almost any soil.
The first flowers appear in the third, the
eighth year yielding often as high as 100
pounds, the bloom occurring in every
month. The greatest yield is from July
to December
The process of converting the long, green
ish yellow fragrant petals Of the flower
into essence is by the simplest form of dis
tilation no chemicals of any kind being
required, simply water and the choicest
flowers. The oil will vaporize in closed
boiler at 22O degrees Fahrenheit. The usual
results follow.
The best quality must be clear as distilled
water and fragrant. The second quality
is yeliowish and smoky. The oil Is drawn
from the bottom of a glass separator, the
water remaining. The oil Is filtered
through talcum and ready for the market,
being packed in glass bottles, and COM
mands ready purchasers
About seventy-t five pounds of flowers yield
one pound Of oil. Flowers are worth from
to 15 cents gold per pound, and 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 Towering groves in many parts
of southern Luzon and the Visayan Islands
which may be leased. The vicinity of Ma
nila is particularly well adapted to the
growth of this valuable tree.