374 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. i, i8S6, 



nourishment as plants require, besides what air and 

 water can furnish, is to be found in a few ingredients, 

 ammonia, lime, phosphorus, potash and the like, in 

 different proportions. This has been shewn by a pro- 

 cess of natural analysis ; for it has been ascertained 

 by experiment what ingredients plants take out of pre- 

 pared soils, of which the constitution and composition 

 were noted beforehand, and compared with the same 

 after the growth of the plant. — Madras Times. 



THE FRAGRANT PRODUCTS OF THE WEST 



INDIES. 



The West Indies, like all warm countries, abound 

 in fragrant products. Most flowers possess there a 

 potency of aroma unknown in colder climes, and 

 many fruits, plants, barks, leaves, gums, seeds and 

 grasses exhale scents of their own, which combine 

 into an harmonious whole. Those natural treasures, 

 however, have, as yet, been but little utilized for 

 commercial purposes, aud this Exhibition affords an 

 excellent opportunity for studying them, and seeking 

 the way of turning them to account. This is the 

 object of this brief sketch. 



We shall confine our observations to Jamaica and 

 the Bahamas; the former as being the largest and 

 best cultivated British i-sland, the latter as offering 

 ■ome difference with the Southern group. 



The most fragrant flowers in Jamaica are the Rose, 

 the Jasmine, the Orange (sweet and bitter), the Tube- 

 rose {Polianthes Tuberosa), the Cassie {Acacia far neiia- 

 na), the Frangipane (Plumeria rubra), the Unona 

 odoratissinia (called by the Tagals, in Manilla, Ihlang- 

 Ihlang), the Mignonette tree, or Henna (Lawsonia 

 inirmis), the Olea fragrans (called by the Arabs Zensfur, 

 and by the Chinese Kwei-hwa) the Voleameria, and 

 the Rondeletia odorata. A strong but less delicate 

 ■cent may be obtained from the leaves of the following 

 trees: — The bitter Orang«, Lemon, Cigar-Bush (Critonia 

 Dalea), Mountain Cigar-Bush (Hedi/osmum mutans), 

 Wild Cherry, Bay, Pimento and Allspice. 



Among other indigenous fragrant products may also 

 be mentioned : — The beans of the Vanilla ( Vanilla 

 planifolia). Vanilloes ( Vanilla ^)o;«/jo«ff), and of the 

 Tonquin {Dipterix odorata); Lemon Grass (Andropogon 

 citratus), Kus-Kus Grass Andropogon muricatus), Oloveso 

 Nutmegs, Cassia, Cinnamon and Musk-seed (Hibiscus, 

 ab ilmoschti.s) some aromatic plants of the labiate 

 or.ler, such as Thyme and Rosemary, and various 

 woods, the most remarkable amongst which is a 

 species of rosewood, called licoria odorata, which 

 yields an essential oil strongly resembling Bergamot 

 in flavour. 



The mode of extracting the fragrance from those 

 various prod\icts so as to render it of commercial 

 value differs according to its nature. Distillation is 

 the most frequently adopted, but is only available 

 for hardy substances such as leaves, barks, plants, 

 &c. There are but few flowers that can be treated 

 thus, and the usual processes employed to obtain, 

 their aroma are either maceration or absorption, called 

 by the French enjleuraye. The former consists in 

 infusing the flowers in hot grease or oil, which is 

 strained off after repeating the operation daily for 

 two or three weeks. This process, however, can only 

 be applied to flowers like the rose, orange aud cassie. 

 More delicate flowers, such as Jasmine and Tuberose, 

 are treated by the enfleuragc system, which may be 

 thus described: — A mixture of lard and beef suet, 

 properly washed and clarified, is laid on a square 

 glass tray and fresh flowers are scattered on it and 

 renewed every morning until the grease has absorbed 

 the perfume of the flowers. Those trays are piled 

 up on each other to prevent evaporation. The same 

 result may be obtained with oil, and in that case a 

 thick cotton cloth, soaked in oil, is laid on a frame 

 with a wire bottom and the flowers strewn on it. 

 The best handkerchief perfumes are made by infusing 

 this grease (called pornmade ), or the oil in rectified 

 spirits. 



Among the exhibits in the Jamaica Court is a 

 most interesting one by Col. Talbot, who has the 

 merit of having been the first to establish a flowej 



farm on his estate. Worthy Park, St. Catherine. The 

 products shown, prepared by Mr. John Gray, include 

 Essential Oils of Bitter and Sweet Orange leaves, 

 Lemon, Limes, Lemon-grass and Pimento and some 

 Tuberose Pommade made by the cnjicurage system 

 above described. To the list of those exhibits is 

 appended a note stating that many of the plants 

 are very abundant and obtainable in large quantities, 

 whilst others, like Jasmine and Tuberose have to be 

 cultivated. The same is the case in the south of 

 France, where there are large plantations of roses, 

 jasmines, tuberoses, ond other flowers ; but aromatic 

 plants, such as lavender, rosemary, and tUyme grow 

 wild in the neighbouring mountains. 



The question of flower-farming is evidently exciting 

 some attention in Jamaica, for the Director of the 

 Botanical Department, also exhibits same Jasmine 

 Pommade, made from the flowers of the Jasminum 

 grandiflorum, besides Essential Oils of Pimento and 

 Cigar-Bush leaves, Lemon-grass, Mountain Thyme (Mic- 

 romeria oborata), and Juniper Cedar. 



Mr. B. T. Scharschmidt (C. E. Mandeville) shows 

 some essential oils drawn from the rind of the orange 

 {Citrus aurantium), the lemon (Citrus Medica), and 

 the Bigarade (Citrus Bii/aradia), but they appear to 

 be distilled and consequently inferior to those ob- 

 tained in Calabria and Sicily by expression. The letter 

 mode consists in placing the fruits between two 

 cylinders armed with spikes and revolving in a different 

 direction ; the minute vesicles on the surface of the 

 rind containing the essential oil thus become pierced, 

 and the latter runs down a funnel at the bottom 

 of the apparatus. The essence thus procured is quite 

 pure, whilst that obtained by distillation carries with 

 it the coarse flavor of the rind. The same exhibitor 

 has some interesting specimens of Oil of Pimento 

 leaves and berries, Eupatorium Dalea, Lemon-grass, 

 and Kus-Kus (or J'etivert), some Jasmine and Tube- 

 rose Pommades, some Extracts of Jasmine, Musk- 

 wood, and Rose-wood, some orange-flower water and 

 some rose apple water, distilled from the Jamhosa vul- 

 garis — a decided novelty. 



The Honorable H. J. Kemble, of Kingston, shows 

 some very fine Oil of Ben drawn from the seeds of 

 the Horse-radish tree (Moringa pterggos'perma). This 

 oil was largely used by our ancestors in their per- 

 fumery compounds ; it is mentioned in almost every 

 page of the recipe-books of the sixteenth and seven- 

 teenth century. It has the valuable property of not 

 turning rancid, and it is to be regretted that it is 

 not more frequentlj' employed. It would, no doubt, 

 be found superior to grease in practising in .Jamaica 

 the enjleurage process — as above described, for it is 

 difficult to keep grease fresh in a warm climate. As 

 the seeds yield 30 per cent of that oil, it might, 

 perhaps, be offered also to European perfumers at 

 a sufliciently low price to induce them to return to 

 its use. 



In the Bahamas is to be found nearly the same 

 flora as in .Jamaica, and to judge of its richness and 

 variety, one needs but to cast a look on that most 

 interesting collection beautifully painted by Mrs. Blake. 



In addition to the flowers already named may be 

 mentioned the following, included in the above collection 

 and possessing all an agreeable odour . — The Diilher- 

 gia amerimnum, the Cassia Fistula, the Jpomoea Tube^ 

 rosa and Quamoclit, the Bletia hyacinthina, the 

 Glorisa superba and the Neriurn oleander. 



The Eucalyptus has been lately introduced from 

 Australia into the West Indies, and with its usual 

 rapidity of growth it will no doubt soon spread and 

 render important services to public health. The wonder- 

 ful properties of the Oil of Eucalyptus, so strongly 

 exhaled by its leaves, in checking fever and curing 

 bronchial affections, are now universally recognized, 

 and wherever that tree has been planted it has puri- 

 fied the air in a remarkable manner. Its latest 

 achievement has been to drive malaria completely 

 out of the Campagna of Rome, where it had been 

 prevaiUng for centuries.* 



*An oft-reapeated mistake. — Ed. 



