Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1912-08-17
10 TEST ROSE OIL
Uncle Sam Is Trying to Make
Perfume.
Bureau o. Plant Industry Experiments
Resu't IN Producing Extract, but
Quality still Remains In


Washington.-Uncle Sans latest
step In conservation is an effort 70
retain In American pockets an annual
expenditure OF several millions which
IL sent to European markets for the
purchase OF altar Of roses-a luxury
which feminiity regards as a neces-
sity.
The bureau Of plant industry of the
department OF agriculture Is conduct.
ing experiments at the Arlington
plant farm to determine whether this
perfume can be produced In the
United States as a commercially
profitable enterprise.
Under the direction OF DR.. Walter
Van Fleet. an expert rose grower, and
Ut. Rodney H. True. In charge of
drug plant Investigations, about 40
varieties Of the roses grown by the
French and Bulgarian producers of
rose oil were imported last year and
set out at the Arlington farm.
There are now between 700 and 800
plants In the experimental bed and
the directors OF the new enterprise
gathered their first crop this spring.
The yield for two weeks was about
40 pounds OF petals per day. These
petals have been distilled and Yielded
about the same quantity Of the highly
scented oil which is usually extracted
from a similar quantity OF European
grown petals.
The experts Of the department of
agriculture are not ready, however, too
say how this American oil compares \
with regard to quality with that prdis
duced across the seas. 1t will be suadv
Initted to rose oil experts for ella init.
incation and upon the report of thu the
experts Will rest the future Of the lice
partment's new investigations res
clu
The mere fact that the oil cse tioi
produced In this country, say agu
tural experts, does not establiftne
Iact that the new enterprises De
commercial success. There e \
Of other factors VIII VIII she
'nfer largely into the equatii even bic
the quality Of the oil is foi 70 Do hea
'Qual to the imported prody tior
Prominent among the difities 20 ogr
'e met and overcome In d produc- in
ion OF rose essence" in Il country ing
the high cost of labor mis- WIZ dis,
'rincipaily come into pla Fnen the uel
lowers are harvested an the rose
rowers nnd that they \ have to abe
~ from four to SIX timas much 70 tioI
aborers over here as Tad across Prs
be pond" The plants tuire but Ut VIII
10 personal attentionnd can be isti
Iorked By horses. butte picking OF sus
be roses has to be Do under pscu- Gel
ar conditions. S ret
TO secure the best bsults the now out
~ must Be gather early In the clio
forming. not later TIA 10 o'clock. As
10 perfect flowers . only to be
,und on clear, dryiays, the grower
IN never determp beforehand on
hat days he wilifck. But as the new
III grown flower practically worth by
ss. he. must haj picking force jus
lady to enter u gardens the, mo- Ma
ent conditions o suitable to gather var
70 buds. per
AZ oOulnCIu HIACSB "AANAt "AeA ~~~- Pos'
Lria, supplies u American markets, pal
e rose growei solve this problem wild
an unique MINER. On each farm say
a large bel When the pickers' mo
'rvices are squired this bell is thr
lied at an efly hour and the peas mo
Its hasten Il the fields. 1t may be der
ficult, say Armihg exports, to pur-
Q the entebrise in this manner I'M
r the preent labor conditions ex-
ing in thi country.
The roseoil is used principally in THU
Q manufacture Of perfumery and ing
favorinl agent for certain unpala- the
Die medicines Statistics compiled ure
Q yearsAgo showed that the United ing
ates Imported annually more than fen
10000 forth OF the crude rose oil 900
I'M Eufpe. Today this oil whole aga
les at fom 50 to $40 an ounce. The mo
rfume manufacturers convert about
ounce Of this valuable product into
products. the principal
rredient Of value In which is the fur
These manufactured products des
Ially sell for about $40. allowing nh,
} manufacturer a profit of from 80 fie
100 per cent. on purchase. IA,
America, however. does not confine arr
importation Of the altar Of roses 90,
the crude oil. The importation of ae,
fumes annually foots up more than mo
50O.0 900 and a large percentage Of col
se finished products contain cor
'ater OF lesser quantity Of the cost sue
OIL qui