July 18, 18C5. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUHE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



lis 



likely to destroy the tender organism, and also remembering 

 that it hud been found most efficient in the preseiTatiou of 

 animal tissues. The glycerine answered its purpose most 

 admirably, presen-ing the delicate parts of the plant and pre- 

 venting deeouiposition. He immediately saw that the property 

 of glycerine might be made available for certain iiharmaceutieal 

 purposes, where it was desired to preserve or extra<'t the aroma 

 of vegetalile products, such as Elder, Orange, or Rose flowers, 

 and also might be substituted for the oils and fats used in the 

 purest process termed enileurage. The glycerine need not be 

 especially jnire, but should be devoid of odour. The Elder 

 flowers should be t;a<hercd when the corolla is fully expanded, 

 but not too far gom; ; they should then be plucked from the 

 .stem, and jiacked firmly in wide-mouthed bottles or jars, with- 

 out crushing them ; and the whole should then be covered with 

 glycerine. Mr. Tichborne states that he has thus preserved 

 Sowers for two years, and, on distilling them, procured a water 

 the perfume of which has etiualled the most recent product. 

 For tlie preservation of the aroma of the flowers he considers 

 the em]iloyment of glycerine fiu' superior to the system termed 

 enliourage, in which beat is used. 



THE FLOWER FARMS OF FRANCE. 

 The growing of flowers for the production of fine essential 

 oils and for medicinal purposes, is an important branch of 

 horticultural industry in those departments of France bodering 

 upon the Gulf of Lyons and the Mediterranean Sea, and especi- 

 ally in the southern portion of the Department of Var, adjoin- 

 ing the former Italian, but now French, province of Nice. 

 There are extensive factories in Nismes, Blontpelier, Morbihan, 

 Nice, and some lately established across the sea in Algeria. 

 Smaller establislimeuts are found at Mentone, and all along the 

 Genoese Biviera ; but the great and acknowledged centre of this 

 branch of industry, is the town of Grasse, situated about seventy- 

 five miles E.N.E. of Marseilles, a few miles inland, and its 

 seaport Cannes, well known as the winter residence of Lord 

 Brougham. It would bo ilifficult to state, with any degi-ee of 

 acem'acy, the product of the flower-fields of this interesting 

 region. There are over sixty factories in Grasse, which is a 

 flourishing place of 12,000 inhabitants, giving employment in 

 the various departments of field and in-door labour', to fully 

 5,000 i^ersons. Many manufactiu'ers grow their own flowers, 

 others buy them daily in the market, and still others are 

 supplied by contract. The latter system prevails among the 

 leading houses. Contracts are made, at a fixed price for a term 

 of years, for the total product of a farm, at rates varying fi-om 

 8 to 10 cents per kilogramme ('2J lbs.) of Rose leaves, up to 

 1 dollar for Tuberose leaves, and even higher for Violet leaves ; 

 the latter being mainly produced at Nice. The average prices 

 ai'e about as follows : — 



Rose leaves, 8 to 10 cents the kilo- 



gi'amme. 

 Jasmine leaves, 40 ly CO cents the 



Idlojframme. 

 Orange leaves, 60 cents the WIo- 



gramme. 



Acacia buds, 60 to 80 cents the kilo- 



t^ranuue. 

 Tuberose leaves, 1 dollar the kilo- 



frramme. 

 Violet leaves, 80 cents to 1 dollar 



80 cents the kilogi-anime. 



These are the leading garden-flowers used in Grasse ; only 

 small <|uantities of the Jonquil, Narcissus, Hyacinth, Migno- 

 nette, A-o., are produced. .\ gi-eat breadth of land is devoted 

 to Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, Sweet Marjoram, Cherry 

 Laurel, Sage, Balm, and other medicinal and culinary plants, 

 which are sold at much lower rates than the products of the 

 above-named flowers. 



The preparations derived from aU these plants divide them- 

 selves into four classes: — essential oils, distilled waters, 

 pomma les and oils, and dried leaves and flowers. It is true 

 that considerable quantities of extracts of the pommades are 

 manufactured and sold, but they are generally of inferior 

 quahty, and will not compare with those produced by the great 

 perfimiers of Paris and this coimtrj'. 



The gi-eat bulk of essential oils produced consists of Laven- 

 der, Kosemai-y, Thyme, Sage. Spike Lavender, and Sweet Mar- 

 joram, all of a terebinthine nature. The most valuable products, 

 of any considerable amount, arc the essential oils of Neroli 

 and Petit Grain. The former is the result of the distillation of 

 Orange flower water, from the petals of the flower of the Biga- 

 rade or Bitter Orange (the sweet or Portugal Orange yielding a 

 somewhat inferior product), and the latter is obtained from 

 the green leaves of the same tree. The price of Neroli varies 

 with the season from 30 dols to 45 dols. the pound, of Petit 



Grain from 8 dols. to 12 dols. Those two oils are used exten- 

 sively in the composition of Cologne water, and in combination 

 with Bergamot and Rosemary, give its distinctive character. 

 The Orangi^ flower water is cunsumcd in immense quantities in 

 France, in the " eau sucrce," so universally drank in the hot 

 seasons ; this, by the way, is the only form in which a French- 

 man will drink water at all. 



The Bigarade Orange tree also fm-nishes a rough-skinned, 

 bitter, inedible fruit, from tlie rind of which is expressed an 

 inferior oil caUed " Essence Bigarade," often used for adiiltcra- 

 tingthc finer oils. The tree requires ten years to mature, and 

 twenty to attain perfection, and yields an average of 17 lbs. of 

 flowers ]ier annum. 



Rose water is also distilled in large quantities. A result of 

 its tlistillatiou is a very minute propoi-tion of otto of Roses of 

 the very highest quality ; it appears in small supernatant grains 

 or drops, which are carefully skimmed off and rectified. It is 

 superior to the famous Kizanlik or Turkish otto, and, like it, 

 congeals at ordinary temperatures in Ijcautiful, transparent 

 crystals. I saw, at the celebrated manufactory of Mr. Antoinc 

 Chiris, who was in all things the loader of his profession, a 

 bottle containing about three pounds, which he valued at 

 550 dols. or over 11 dols. the ounce. It is not an article of 

 export, the quantity produced being very sniall, but is reserved 

 for use in unfavourable seasons, or a faihire of the flower crop, 

 to give strength and finish to the Pommades and oils. The 

 " Rose de Mai," (Eosa centifolia provincialis), or double May 

 Rose, is the one universally grown. 



Another very costly ai-ticle of which less than an ounce had 

 been produced in Grasse at that time, is the essential oil of 

 Jasmine. Its existence in the flower was long and stoutly 

 denied by the tlistillers, although they failed to prove what other 

 principle caused its fine odour. In 1853 an Algerian chemist ob- 

 tained a minute quantity, which cost him, we were informed, at 

 the rate of 17,000 francs the kilogramme, or nearly 100 dols. the 

 ounce. It has, since then, been produced at a cheaper rate, 

 but still too dear for commercial purposes. The wild Arabian 

 .Jasmine is grafted on the cultivated plant of the same species, 

 acclimated, and bears for many years, if not winter-killed, 

 yielding from 90 to 150 lbs. of flower-petals per thousand plants. 

 It is closely trimmed in spring and deeply covered in winter. 

 The catei-piUar is its most formidable enemy. 



A most important branch, and one in which gi'eat rivalry 

 exists, is the preparation of perfumed pommades and oils, 

 w-hich have a twofold use ; first as bases for the finer kinds of 

 hair oils and pomatums, and next as a medium for obtaining 

 spirituous extracts for the handkerchief and the toilet ; such 

 as Lubiu's well-known " Extraits pour le monchoir." Their 

 jjreparation is the most curious and interesting feature of the 

 Grasse establishments. 



The pommade " body," which is jirepared in winter, is com- 

 posed of 1 part of beef-suet, and 2 parts of beef-lard (except 

 for Jasmine and Tuberose, which is mainly lard, hardened by 

 mutton or veal suet), thoroughly hashed, washed in several 

 waters, and, among the best manuf:'.cturers, washed several times 

 in Rose water to deprive it of all unpleasant odoui', then care- 

 fully melted and stored away in huge tin cans, in airy, cool 

 vaults, for use in the season of flowers. Another preparation, 

 cal'ed " corps dur," or hard body, is made of beef tallow only, 

 and is used in the mamifacturo of stick pomatums. For the 

 oils, the inodorous virgin olive oil is used, expressed from 

 oUves just before their maturity. 



The busj' operations of the year commence with the Rose 

 season. 



There are two processes for impregnating the pommade body, 

 and the oils with the floral odours — one by infusion and macera- 

 tion, the other by what is termed ' enfleurage." The first is 

 employed for the strong, less volatile odom'S of the Rose, Orange, 

 and Acacia ; the latter for the sensitive, ethereal perfumes of 

 the Jasmine, Tuberose, Jonquil, and all the bulbous plants, 

 which will not endure the appKcatiou of even a moderate 

 degree of heat. 



And, first, by infusion. Ahjut 100 Idlogi-ammes (220 lbs.) 

 are put into a tin planished copper vessel, placed in a copper 

 water bath, melted at a low temperature, and chai'ged, a.t day- 

 break, with a certain quantity of the fxeshly-gathered flowers, 

 which are stirred constantly dm-ing the day and night, the 

 mass being kept only warm enough to maintain a semi-fluid 

 state. "About midnight it is removed from the fire, poured 

 into strong bags, made of fish cord, and subjected to heavy 

 pressiue in large perforated iron cylinders, standing vei-tically 

 upon marble bed plates, which are gently warmed, to prevent 



