42 THE PRODUCTION OF VOLATILE OILS AND PERFUMERY PLANTS, 



a nature as to make it almost indispensable in the perfumery industry. 

 Unlike that of lavender, the odor of the rose geranium resides in 

 the leaves, the flowers being almost odorless. Experiments in a pre- 

 liminary way are now being carried on to determine the quality of 

 the oil capable of being distilled from this plant. As in the case of 

 the rose and lavender, the most suitable location can be learned 

 only by a system of tests in localities with diffei-ent climatic and soil 

 conditions. 



Kosemary [^Rosmarinus officinalis), thyme {Thymt/s nulgaris), 

 sweet basil {Ocimum basilicum), summer savory [Satureja horten- 

 sis), and sweet marjoram (Origanmn marjorana), besides others of 

 this type originating in Mediterranean countries and yielding oils 

 of excellent fragrance for both the perfumers and the toilet-prepara- 

 tion manufacturers, can by proper attention and perseverance no 

 doubt be produced advantageousl3\ A factor of considerable import 

 in the growth and distillation of these plants is that whole fresh 

 herbs can be distilled, thus obviating the necessity of picking the 

 flowers by hand. 



The distillation of oil from such seeds as caraway, anise, fennel, 

 and coriander, which are so universally used for flavoring and scent- 

 ing purposes, has been successfully exploited in southern Europe for 

 decades. These seeds have been introduced into the United States 

 and grown in small quantities, principally for household use. The 

 ease of production as a household necessity should be sufficient stimu- 

 lus for growing the plants on a broader basis for the distillation of 

 the very fragrant oils. The North-Central States, with their excel- 

 lent soil and climate, undoubtedly are capable of producing profitable 

 yields of seeds giving from 2 to 7 per cent of volatile oil. The 

 method of distillation is similar to that of leaves or herbs, with the 

 exception that, in order to facilitate the permeation of the steam, the 

 seeds are ground coarsely before being subjected to the steam vapors. 



The commercial isolation of oils from citrus fruits and their by- 

 l^roducts centers principally in Sicily and Italy. The production of 

 oil from either lemon or orange peel in the citrus regions of Cali- 

 fornia has received but slight attention and should be deserving of 

 more, inasmuch as the demand for these oils is very constant and 

 the prices reasonably high. The distillation of waste lemons or 

 unsalable lemons would possibly yield a volatile oil of lemon of fair 

 quality, wdiich no doubt would find a ready market. The Sicilian 

 methods of hand expression are practically out of the question be- 

 cause of the labor factor involved. The distillation of lemon-tree 

 prunings yields an oil of extremely high citral content, which should 

 prove valuable for flavoring purposes. 



195 



