17 
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8rtz. 
PERFUMES—THEIR SOURCES AND 
MODES OF PRODUCTION. 
BY 
MR. J. CHARLES SAWER, 
(Author of “ Odorographia,” Sc.) 
The constantly increasing importance of this industry may 
be best explained by describing a few of the principal materials, 
or raw products, and the methods of producing them. 
Selecting first the Rose, as the plant with which we are most 
familiar :— 
The otto is made in Bulgaria, in France, in Germany, and in 
India. The most important rose plantations are situate south of 
the Balkan mountains, and extend from 24° 30' E to 26° 8’ E 
longitude, on the fertile lands east and west of the town of 
Kezanlik. ‘The annual production 50 years ago was from 440lbs. 
to 660lbs. The average production of the four years 1889-90- 
91-92 was 4,316lbs., distilled from an average of 4,695 tons of 
flowers. The merchants themselves distil but little ; the otto is 
brought to them by their agents who travel from village to 
village and buy it up from the peasants who distil it. The 
number of stills employed is recorded as 7,290. 
The species of Rose cultivated in Bulgaria has been clearly 
identified as the Rosa Damascena, the “ Damask Rose,” a native 
of Syria. A microscopic examination of the transverse section of 
a rose petal, reveals that the otto is secreted in cells on both its 
surfaces, those of the upper epidermis being of a papillary form, 
and those of the lower, of an elongated cubic form. 
The rose harvest commences about the third week in May, 
and lasts about a month. ‘There is sometimes another small 
gathering of flowers in November. 
The distillatory apparatus employed by the Bulgarian 
peasants is a very crude and original construction and the opera- 
