252 
to sixteen ounces of flowers. The picking begins the last of April or first of 
May and lasts from three to four weeks. 
“ Orange—The orange is propagated from the seed. After the first year 
they are planted in rows about two fect apart. In the third year they are grafted, 
and in the fourth year removed to where they are to remain. Not only the spot 
where the tree is to stand but the whole ground should be dug four feet deep. 
This is of great importance. It will not be observed at first, but if not attended 
to when the tree is in its prime, a blight will appear and the tree will not increase 
in size. As this tree lasts with care above two hundred years, every attention 
ought to be paid to its infancy. ‘The trees are planted in rows from twelve to 
twenty feet apart. Violets grow well beneath their shade, but should not be 
planted within three or four feet of the trees. The ground should be dug and 
manured every year—liquid manure—in March or the first of April, and the 
trees pruned in June every second or third year. 
“The sewveet orange, (called Portugal,) is cultivated for fruit; its flowers are 
of much less value for distillation than those of the sour orange and selk for only 
about half their price. ‘ 
“The sour or bitter orange (called bigaradier) yields the best profit, and is 
less affected by the long, dry heat of summer. The fruit of the sweet orange 
makes the essential oil of sweet orange, generally called oil of Portugal. It is 
made in December or January by rubbing the orange in pewter cups, garnished 
with pricks, which pierce the vesicles of the rind, and cause the oil to flow out. 
The remainder of the rind is rasped and distilled, yielding an inferior oil. The 
pulp is mixed with bran and fed to cows, making them yield more milk. 
«The bitter orange yields the best blossoms for perfumery. ‘The blossoms 
are picked in May. The essential oil distilled from the blossoms of the bitter 
orange is called oil neroli. One ton of blossoms yields two pounds eight ounces 
of oil neroli. From the leaves and branches, which are pruned in June, is dis- 
tilled the essential oil called ‘ petit grains,’ which is much used in the manufac- 
ture of eau de cologne. ‘The orange water obtained by distillation from the 
leaves is sometimes sold for and used as the orange water distilled from lowers, 
but it is very inferior to the orange flower water. 
“The fruit of the bitter orange, by the rubbing process, yields a very fine 
essential oil, bigarade. It is used in many scents, but principally in the manu- 
facture of the famous curagoa. 
“ Geranium.—The oak leaf or scented verbena geranium is propagated by 
cuttings in September, replanted in March or April, in ground well exposed to 
the sun and that can be freely irrigated. It grows to the height of four feet, is 
cut by the sickle, and distilled in August and September. One ton yields from 
twenty-four to thirty ounces of the essential oil. , 
“ Jasmine —A delicate flower, requiring much attention in the cultivation, 
picking, and manipulation. It requires a good, damp soil, easily irrigated, and 
well exposed to the sun, The grafted plants are placed two feet apart, in rows 
five feet apart. They must be cut down every spring to within a few inches of 
the ground. They flower abundantly from July to the end of October, and even 
later, though the flowers have little or no perfume. From the middle of July to 
the fifteenth of August the flowers are picked daily just about sunset; after Au- 
gust 15th they are usually picked in the morning as soon as the dew is off. ‘The 
essential oil is so volatile that it cannot be extracted by distillation, the heated 
water decomposing it so that only a faint tinge of the perfume is left in the 
water that passes through the refrigerant. 
« Tuberose—This beautiful bulb requires a rich moist soil that can be easily 
irrigated, and that is well exposed to the sun. The bulb, after being freed from 
suckers, is planted in April, and blooms abundantly fifteen months afterwards. 
The time of picking is from the middle of July to October. Like the jasmine, 
the oil cannot be extracted by distillation. 
