The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-25

thlS apparatus.
 "The possibilities for perfume manu- facture in the United States says MT. Rabak are unlimited but little has been done to promote the industry. Up to the present time," he adds, the cul- tivation of perfume-yielding plants has not been carried on, even experimentally, over large part of the United States, and such work as has been done is con fined to but few kinds of plants Until our knowledge along these lines has been much increased by practical attempts to cultivate this class of products only statements of probabilities can be made. However, in some cases plant introduc- tions along other lines from the otl- welding countries of Europe, with infor- nation as to conditions of climate ano soil in those regions, give basis for calculation in connection with these crops. The wide diversity in climate and soil in different parts of the United States. with the varying conditions of heat, light and moisture renders it probable that some portions of the country will be found to be well fitted for the cultiva- tion of perfnmery plants characteristic of the temperate zone. It appears probable that the coalitions prevailing in those parts of Europe associated with the per sumery industry can be fairly well du-
  experimental work to find the particu- lar localities best suited to special plants
 Some work on perfumery-p plant grow ing has been carried on in Florida, nota- bly, by E. Moulie of Jacksonville, whose experience has been encouraging. Ex- perments by S. C. Hood with number of oil-yieldng grasses in the testing nf 111a at Orange City, Fla, give ground for hope that a number of plants able to endure freezing weather may be culti- vated with good results. California and the arid southwest offer promising con ditions for plants which thrive in dry, sunny locations.
 Michigan, Indiana and New York are already well known IS important cen ters for the production of peppermint and spearmint, while Michigan. Wis consin, Nebraska and other states in the north central part of the country form an important source of worm wood oil Doubtless other oil bearing plants now on trial may be found to do well in parts of the same general section. American worm seed is dis titled in Maryland and southward, and sassa frass is distilled in various places, especially in the mountains from Penn sylvania southward. The oils of win tergreen sweet birch, spruce and white cedar are derived from the more north ern ranges of the Atlantic slope. The mountainous regions of Tennessee and Kentucky supply wintergreen, sweet birch and sassafras oils.
 It.is apparent that a number of na- tive and introduced plants, rich in volatile oils, have obtained foothold on a commercial basis in this country, and there is good ground to hope that products of this general class now ob- tained from abroad may Tn time be- come naturalized here.
 The growth of the volatile oil indus try has been rapid in Germany and France, due to the opening up of re- numeratve lines of work by pioneer ing scientific workers. and the greater demand for these products by manufac- lures. Although volatile oils find much use in medicine, the greatest demands comes from the makers of perfumes and favors. As result of scientific research along the lines of perfume chemestry. not only has great field for commercial activity been discovered but scientific knowledge Itself has been greatly enlarged. This mutually help full relation between science and com merce has been conspiciously developed in France and Germany. but to a rela- lively slight extent In this country.