The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-09-06
WHERE COSTLIEST
PERFUME is MADE
Bulgaria, Home Of altar Of Roses,
Is Suffering From Short
age of Crop.

Washington. Roses are not doing so
well in Bulgaria this year.
This Is not the casual statement that
1t may appear. It amounts to great
deal more than statement, fQg exam
pie. that CALIFORNIA; peoples Hire suf-
fering, that the bluebonnet crop Is not
up to the standard In Texas, or that
the daisies ia Maryland are scarcer
than usual A bulletin by the National
Geographic society's headquarters here
tells why.
Roses are not merely things OF
beauty in Bulgaria" says the bulletin.
They constitute real crop, and mean
as much to some parts of the country
as cotton means In Georgia. or pota-
toes In Maine It is literally true that
the rose means bread and butter TO
thousands of Bulgarian country folk.
Great fields Of roses are grown that
the petals may be made to yield each
its inflnitesimal share of altar OF roses,
the last word-and the most expensive
lin perfumery.
1T Is in the valleys ON the southern
slopes of the Balkans that roses have
been grown for generations for the
perfumery industry, for there the eli.
mate. soil and drainage are just right
In normal seasons for this most exact
ing flower. Before the World war there
were probably between $4,000 and So
900 acres Of rose gardens in the Bull
garian rose belt and the annual yield
Of the altar was about 10000 ounces.
But perfume was not greatly In de-
mand In the German and Turkish
world to which Bulgarla's exports were
confined during war time, and roses
gave way to the tobacco plant, whose
particular fragrance was more appre-
ciated by the millions Of men under
arms. Since the war rose growing has
recovered, but In no postwar year has
the acreage climbed above 1900.
Most Concentrated Product.
Altar of roses is one Of the most
concentrated agricultural products II
IL may be 80 called, produced anywhere
In the world. The countless rose petals
grown on an acre yield only few ia
blespoonfuls of the fragrant oil. The
altar Is In effect the materiahzed and
captured fragrance of the rose, and
probably $4,000 or more flowers must
contribute their share In making each
ounce of the completed product.
"The roses are largely gathered be-
fore sunrise, or at least before the dew
has dried for the moisture helps to
preserve the fragrance. The peasants
seem to enjoy their aesthetic job.
Troops of gaily dressed girls and young
men go through the gardens stripping
the buds from the plants. They are
dumped in piles before older women
who sort them Ia readiness for their
trip to the nearby factories. The buds
are placed in retorts with about twice
their weight of water and the liquid Is
then distilled. The resulting liquor is
allowed to stand overnight in pans.
BY morning thin film Of a solid oil
has risen to the top. This, the altar,
is carefully SKINNED of, and the. re-
naming rose water is In most cases
thrown away.
1.-THE genuine altar of roses Is 80
strong that it's odor Is not very pleas
ant. When combined with other. mate
rIals and so properly diluted, however,
the fragrance is delightful. One drop
is SUFFICIENT to give pleasing rose
odor to gallon of cologne
Has Reached 500 an Ounce.
.sIn 1919 the United States imported
over a thousand pounds Of altar Of
roses from Bulgaria. It's cost there
was only about $3.50 pound. The
price Of the altar ls much greater, Of
course, by the time 1t reaches the con-
sumer. The best grades have sold al
times for 500 or more an ounce.
Though Bulgaria is perhaps the
best known source Of altar Of roses,
1t has no monopoly Of the production Of
this most highly priced OF perfumes.
In the celebrated Vale OF Kashmir, In
some parts OF China. In some Of the
cases Of Persia. in Egypt and in.Asia-
tic Turkey the flowers from many
acres of roses are concentrated IN
much the same way. The industry has
even invaded the west and Is carried
on near Leipzig. Germany. and around
the famous tClty Of Perfumes Grass.
In Roufharn Fraueaw