82 ODOROGRAPHIA. 
average a million kilogrammes (about 1000 tons). The yield of 
Neroli varies with the season when the flowers are collected. Those 
gathered at the beginning barely produce half a gramme to the 
kilo, while near the end of May they afford one gramme or more. 
The buds are picked when on the point of opening, by women, 
hoys, and girls, who make use of a tripod ladder to reach them. 
These villagers carry the flowers to an agent, who weighs them and 
spreads them out in a cool place, where they remain until 1 or 
2a.m.; then he puts them into sacks and delivers them at the 
factory before the sun has risen. ‘They are then taken in hand at 
once. On exceptional days as many as 160 tons are so treated in 
the whole province. At the factory the flowers are spread out on 
the stone floor of the receiving-room, in a layer some 6 or 8 inches 
deep. The sepals are then separated by girls, and such of the 
petals as are destined for the production of orange-flower water 
and Neroli are put into a still through a large canvas shoot, and 
are covered with water, which is measured by the filling of reser- 
voirs on the same floor. The man-hole of the still is then closed, 
and the contents are brought to boiling-poimt by the passage of 
superheated steam through the coils of a surrounding worm. The 
water and oil pass over, are condensed, and fall into a florentine re- 
ceiver, the oil floating on the surface thereof and the water flowing 
through the bent tube from below. A piece of wood or cork is 
placed in the receiver to break the force of the stream flowing 
from the condenser. This gives time for the small globules of 
oil to cohere and prevent them being carried away by the down- 
ward current. The first portions of the water coming from the 
still are put mto large tinned-copper vats holding about 500 
gallons, and there stored, to be drawn off as occasion may require 
into glass carboys or tinned-copper bottles. 
After the flowerimg-season, or about the end of June, the 
farmers prune their trees; these prunings are carted to the fac- 
tory, where the leaves are separated and distilled, the product 
being “oil of petit-grain.” During the autumn the ground round 
about the trees is well weeded, dug about, and manured, for the 
old practice of planting violets under the orange-trees is being 
abandoned. ‘The orange-trees produce a second crop of flowers in 
autumn, sometimes of sufficient importance to allow of their 
being taken to the factories, but always in request for the 
bouquet market. Late in the year those blossoms which escaped 
