VOLATILE OIL PLANTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 41 



introduced and groAvn as garden plants, luxuriant growth and ex- 

 cellent aromas usually being obtained. 



The umbelliferous plants mentioned have also been largely grown, 

 although only on a garden scale, usually for their seeds, which 

 possess considerable value to the housewife and to the confectioner 

 for flavoring or condimental purposes. The distillation of the oils 

 from these seeds has been very largely for experimental purposes 

 only. 



The citrus fruits, although grown very extensively, have received 

 but slight attention in the United States from the standpoint of their 

 volatile oils, which are of so much value to the scenter and perfumer. 



The rose, lavender, and rose geranium, although possessing ex- 

 ceedingly fragrant volatile oils have received only trifling considera- 

 tion as regards cultivation for the aroma. 



It is not unlikely that certain sections of the United States are 

 adapted to the growth of the Bulgarian rose, which produces the rose 

 oil of commerce. In order to locate these desirable regions, practical 

 tests would be required, attention being paid to the quality of the 

 perfume obtained and also to the labor required in the gathering of 

 the rose petals. Besides the usual variety of rose used for perfume 

 cultivation, the Rosa damascena^ there are a number of other species 

 which have become naturalized in this country and which possess 

 fragrance of exceedingly high quality, besides being prolific bearers. 



Experiments in connection with the growing of roses for perfumery 

 purposes are worthy of attention in some of the southern portions 

 of the United States w^here the conditions of climate are especially 

 favorable and where, since the petals must be plucked by hand for 

 distillation, labor would be sufficiently cheap to insure a certain 

 degree of success. 



Lavender {Lavandula vera), now grown extensively in the semi- 

 mountainous districts of France and in England for the volatile oil, 

 is no less capable of growth on the soils of this country than other 

 plants which are at present grown profitably. The regions of growth 

 in France, Ital}^ and England are not entirely dissimilar and do 

 not possess any more suitable climatic and soil conditions than might 

 be supplied in some sections of the United States. In this case ex- 

 periments would also be necessary to locate desirable regions, but 

 the labor factor would be minimized considerably owing to the fact 

 that the entire tops of the plants are distilled. Owing to the little 

 labor required in connection with lavender, enterprise in this matter 

 should not be lacking. 



The rose geranium (Pelargonium odorafissimum) , a plant with 

 an exquisite odor grown and distilled in France, Spain, Algiers, and 

 the island of Reunion, deserves some consideration with regard to 

 cultivation, inasmuch as the oil distilled from the plant is of such 



195 



