The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-05-11
ROSE FARMS Of EUROPE
Raising Flowers to be Used in
Making Perfume.
LARGEST IS IN ROUMANIA
Nearly a Million Women and Girls
Find Employment on the Flower
Farms Of Southeastern Europe
Whole Families migrate to Help
In Picking.


Few people realize the extent Of the
perfume industry or of the immense
number OF flowers that are annually
grown for the extract gained from
them. 1t Is estimated that millions Of
pounds Of rose leaves are annually re-
, duced to perfumes, and that nearly l.
100000 women work following the old
home recipes and supply the markets
Of the world
In southeastern Europe the rose
gathering season Is from May to the
middle of July, and 100000 women and
girls are employed in this industry.
In the south OF France and near
Paris roses are cultivated for the pur
pose of manufacturing the altar, and
over 30,000.000 pounds of rose leaves
are annually gathered.
One Of the largest rose fields, II not
the largest, in the world is situated in
Roumania and is over 120 miles long
by 40 in width. When the time of the
Roumanian picking season is known,
people come from 400 or 500 miles in
every direction to get to work. Whole
families migrate from Bosnia, AL
bania, and even from Greece, Rou'
mania and Asia Minor to take part
in gathering the roses.
For two months any one who can
pick roses can get job in the South
ern Balkans. Picking begins at early
dawn when the dew is on the leaves,
and Is continued until 10 or II a. M,
or during cloudy weather, all day
long. When the sun is shining bright
ly labor is discontinued toward noon,
and recommended at or 5, and then
work is carried on as long as the
workers can see. Labor is paid for
by the pound
Every picker Is equipped with
basket holding about two bushels, for
rose leaves are light. After the baskets
are full, they are emptied into sacks
and as soon as possible these are
transported to the houses and there
converted into essence. The factories
where the altar of roses is made are
mere sheds; sometimes the walls are
Of brick, sometimes of stone, and oc-
casionally of planks. On one side
stand the retorts in rows, copper
alembics about three feet high, with
brick furnace underneath. Each
alembic has capacity Of 10 liters
or quarts, but for charge only rs
quarts of water are used and %
pounds of rose leaves.
OF
and then the flask receiving the dis
titled product is removed and the
alembic recharged and the process
begun again. The altar Of roses Is
the oil which floats upon the surface,
and this is subsequently taken Off by
cooling and condensation.
The violet plants are generally
grown in fields where there are or
ange and lemon trees, and the shade of
these trees is benefit to the growth
Of the flower. The violet farms re-
quire constant irrigation. These plants
are set in rows so that gathering may
take place without any one stepping
on the flowers.
After the gathering has taken place
a pomade is made by bringing the
flowers into contact with some very
pure fat, the latter being a suitable
mixture of lard and suet, and careful
ly purified. The pomades are then
melted, put into tin cans and shipped
to all parts OF the world. The manu-
featuring perfumer removes the po-
made from the tins, washing the
pomade with deodorized alcohol, which
takes away from the grease the odori-
ferrous substances Of the flowers. This
washing" is the basis of all fine per-
fumes, and to 1t are added the vari-
Gus oils and substances that give to
It it's great commercial value.
The standard scent-plants are as
follows: Rose, rose geranium. rose
mary, citron, lavender, orris or iris
root, bitter almond. thyme, violet, cas-
sic or opopnax, tuberose, anise, cara
way, fennel, dill and coriander.
Jasmine culture is one Of the most
expensive known, but as it's perfume
Is said to be one that cannot be adul-
terated or initiated, it brings a high
price, on account of its general purity.
It is grown in the vicinity OF Grasse,
France, and also in India, where it's
very delicate perfume Is highly priced
and esteemed.