Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-08-19
RAISING
PATCHOULI

Consul Skinner Of Marseilles. France.
IN response to numerous inquiries re.
ceived by him from California and
other sections of the United States re-.
garding the patchouli plant, writes:
The patchouli plant is a native of
India and China, where it is quite
common. It is also grown successfully
in Ceylon, Paraguay and the French
possession Of La Reunion. The leaves
and branches possess a musk-like per.
fume, and, upon distillation, furnish
the essence of patchouli. It resembles
the sage plant in height and form, but
its leaves are less fleshy. Our first
knowledge Of this plant dates from
about 1850, when the first importa.
lions were received in London. AT that
time real India shawls were selling at
extravagant prices, and buyers iden.
titled the genuine by their odor; they
were %perfumed with patehouli. French
manufacturers, in order TO initiate the
India shawls successfully, imported the
plant and perfumed their wares with
the essence, thus passing Off their
goods as genuine. Since that time per.
tuners have taken up the industry for
their own account.
The cultivation Of the patchouli
plant has been going on for centuries
in China and the Malay peninsula, It
requires a light soil, level land or
slightly elevated hillsides. The plants
are transplanted in the rainy SEASON
is inches apart and her covered with
leaves. Six months later the FIRST cut.
ting takes place. Each hoctare GAN
acres) furnishes at each gathering
about 344 pounds Of dried leaves and
branches and 1875 pounds OF stems.
The dried branches bring about IL
cents per pound, and, as there are two
cuttings every year, the gross receipts
Of the growers average about $25 an
dere, and at times as much as $40.
The crop is classed under three
heads; (1) leaves; (2) leaves mixed
with young shoots and a little woods
(3) large stems In Java the pat.
chouli leaves are often mixed with 20 :
per cent Of diem leaves. The pat.
chouli leaves imported from Calcutta
and Bombay contain 10 per cent of
stems and furnish an essence Of less
value than the Malay peninsula plants.
The Java ~patchouli is Of fine appear.
ance, but is poor in aroma. The es.
sence is occasionally extracted in the
countries OF origin, but the distillation
Of the leaves is undertaken on a large
scale only in Europe. The leaves are
first cut, then hydrated, left for ~
hours and then distilled by steam. The
yield in essence is from 1% TO 3 per
cent. The essence is n yellow-green
liquid, which turns brown in times IL
is rather thick, possesses a penetrat'
ing odor, which is disagreeable in con
centrated condition, but agreeable or
ut least very characteristic when di.
luted and associated with other per
fumes. The material is at times fal.
sifed with cedar essence. The odor Of
patchouli essence is so strong that few
people can endure IL. Therefore, II Is
always used in diluted form. When
mixed with another essence, the second
is im~perceptible. The dried leaves are
often broken into powder, placed in
saehet bags and disposed Of in draw
ers and closets as a protection against
moths. Almost any importer Of drugs
should be able TO procure the leaves
for my American correspondents. In
MarsPiiles they might address Oscar
Gross & Co, s rue Jaubertj Planehon
Aine de Gelly Fills & Gle, l75 Avenue
du Pradoj Roger Schultz q Co, l27
Boulevard National.