The Washington herald., 1909-04-13
MAKING PERFUMERY.
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.
By FREDERIC ]. HASKTN.


The Manufacturing Perfumers' Asso-
ciation Of the United States meets in an
nual convention at New York City to-day.
Upward Of 100 American perfumers will
gather TO discuss their business in all
its various phases. One hundred and fifty
concerns In the United States are en-
gagged in the manufacture Of perfumery-
Their capital aggregates perhaps $3.50. .Ooo
and the value of their annual products
is between 100000 and 100000. II the
business OF making other proprietary
toilet goods cosmetics. and similar
articles Is taken into account these fig
ures must be doubled
The American perfumers business has
increased greatly during the last twenty
five years. In 1880 the number Of estab-
lishments here, including those making
cosmetics. &c. was only sixty-seven.
The output OF American perfumers has
increased 50 1-S per cent during the last
i've years. and there was an equal per
eentage OF increase during the ten years
previous. Half a million dollars worth Of
essential oils and other raw materials
for perfumers IS imported into this eoun-
try every year. OF altar Of roses alone
the imports increased from $1,000 ounces
in 1856 TO S5. 46s ounces in 1906. The Lon
don market for musk has practically been
transferred 70 New York during the last
few years.
While enormous quantities OF perfumery
are made IN the United States, the in
dustry practically depends upon imported
raw materials. OF such raw materials
very little is produced in this country.
the total production Of essential oils in
America being valued at $4,000 a year
This production includes 10000 pounds OF
peppermint oil and some witch hazel. win
tergreen. &c. which can hardly be
classed as perfumer's materials. Flower
fields are cultivated in California to some
extent The Agricultural Department is
experimenting in flower growing for per-
fumery purposes at Washington, and in
Florida the cultivation OF oris, geranium
lavender and many imported plants is
being encouraged. America. however. 10 a
great field for the perfumeT 10 exploit In
addition 10 the s5.000.00O OF S6.0OO00O worth
OF perfumery manufactured in this coun-
try imports Of perfumery continue TO in
crease.
France is the center Of the worlds per-
fumery trade. and the little. ancient town
OF Grasse on the Riviera, "the azure side
OF the Mediterranean" Is the center Of
the French trade and the Mecca OF the
Worlds perfumers. From than little town
100000 worth Of perfumes are exported
yearly. The place Is literally smothered
with flowers. Sixty thousand acres, or
ninety-three square miles. of land are
covered with flower beds at Grasse. not
20 mention many thousand more acres
cultivated In other parts Of Southern
France.
Ten or twelve billion pounds OF flowers
are gathered in and about Grasse every
year. There are 40 tons Of jessamine
blossoms harvested. One hundred and
sixty-fve tons Of tuberoses pay tribute
70 the perfume makers. as do also ESQ
tons Of orange blossoms. with roses viO-
lets. jonQuils and other flowers in pro-
portion As may be imagined the 200
people OF Grasse are very busy Their
harvest lasts throughout the year. except
about two or three months in the dead
Of winter. the early spring flowers COM
llSf
until the cassia, whose scent enters into
many perfumes Of commerce. blooms late
in the fall.
Bulgaria Is the center OF the rose cuI-
ture. In that country Of recently ac-
quired independence. 660O00 acres Of roses
are grown and their essence converted
into oil or altar of poses The United
States takes about one-third Of this pre-
ciOus product. This altar OF roses has
been esteemed for many years as the very
quintessence of perfume. Twenty thou
sand pounds OF rose petals are required
10 make one pound Of altar. worth $500
A thousand pounds Of jessamine petals
ean only produce one pound OF nerol
worth S2e. from which the favorite eau
de cologne is made.
There are four different processes OF
getting the perfume from fiowers-by
expression. distillation. maceration, or ex-
traction with volatile solvents. Some
times the blossoms are spread on glass
plates which have been smeared with
lard. There Is a peculiar affinity be-
tween the essence OF the flower and this
product Of the lowly pig which causes
the latter to absorb the former In this
process the flowers are changed fire.
Quently. fresh flowers being spread on
the plates as often as eighty times, until
the lard is completely saturated. In the
process OF maeeTaJiOn. flowers are thor
oughly mashed up and put in melted
lard. and afterward the lard is strained
of This is repeated many times. A
pomade is formed in these ways. which
may be dissolved in alcohol. Some per-
fumes, including lavender. are distilled.
others are extracted by steam.
A history of perfumery is practically
the history OF the human race. The most
ancient people known were familiar with
the use of aromatic gums, woods. and
similar substances. In ancient Greece
and Rome perfumes constituted part OF
the food and drink. as well as being
used In the toilet Of the people. The per-
tuners art almost disappeared from Eu-
rope when the barbarians Of the North
and the East blotted out ancient civill-
cation During the Middle Ages per-
fumes were hardly known in Western
Europe but they survived among ORR
entail peoples, and were rediScovered by
the Crusaders. From that time on their
use became more general.
The favorite perfumes OF races, as Of
individuals, vary from time to time. For
some years violet has been the favsrite
IN this country. II takes 23.000 kilo-
grams Of this blossom TO make one kilo-
gram OF oil Of viOlets. which, however,
must be greatly diluted TO make the ex-
tract OF commerce. Rose has been pop
ular ever since the birth OF that queen
% aov-ers IN Persia thousands Of .years