LEGUMINOS 2. 
SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. 
121 
Acacia Farnesiana appears to have been first cultivated in Europe in the gardens of Cardinal 
Odoardo Farnese’ in Rome, whither it was brought in 1611 from San Domingo; and the earliest 
description with an excellent figure was published in 1625 by Pietro Castelli in a work? devoted to 
an account of the rare plants in the Farnese gardens.’ 
so that the flowers, which are gathered by women and children, 
may not grow too far above the ground. The branches are cut 
every year in such a manner as to give the plants a vase-like form, 
which has been found best suited to insure the production of the 
largest quantity of flowers near the ground. The flowers are pro- 
duced from the middle of summer until the middle of autumn, and 
a few blossoms continue to appear until frost. The earliest, how- 
ever, those which open during hot weather, are considered more 
valuable than those which open late in the season, and every effort 
is made to advance the flowering period. The flowers are gathered 
in the morning and are at once delivered to manufacturers. 
A variety known as Acacia Farnesiana sempervirens, which ap- 
peared a few years ago in the gardens of southern Europe, is now 
cultivated. It is thought to be more valuable than the ordinary 
form, as it produces two crops of flowers in a year, one in the 
spring and the other at the end of summer. It is also a larger, more 
robust, hardier, and more productive plant than the type. The 
essence of cassie is used in the preparation of pomades, perfumed 
oils, and extracts. The flowers are not distilled, the only process 
This 
consists in spreading the flowers over glass plates covered with a 
used to extract the perfume being that known as enfleurage. 
thin layer of pure grease. The grease is turned over two or three 
times a week until it is impregnated with the perfume, usually at 
the end of twenty-five or thirty days. The impregnated grease is 
then distilled to obtain the pure essence. The process of enfleurage 
is also performed with hot oil. Olive oil of the best quality is 
poured into large heated kettles containing the flowers, and is then 
heated almost or quite to the boiling point, while workmen keep 
turning the flowers with large wooden spoons to prevent them from 
falling to the bottom of the kettle and burning. When this opera- 
tion has been continued long enough, the flowers and oil are poured 
into little sacks which are then pressed under an hydraulic press. 
(See Naudin, Garden and Forest, iv. 309. — Eugene Rimmel, The 
Book of Perfumes, 228, 251.— The Art of Perfumery, by G. W. 
Septimus Piesse, 26, 199.) 
1 Odoardo Farnese (1573-1626) was distinguished for the sanc- 
tity of his life, and for his wealth and the magnificence of his 
(See Litta, Famiglie Celebri di Italia.) 
2 Exactissima Descriptio Rariorum Quarundam Plantarum, que 
palaces and gardens. 
continentur Rome in Horto Farnesiano. 
8 Acacia Indica Farnesiana, 3, t. — Ray, Hist. Pl. i. 977. 
Acacia Indica foliis Scorpioides leguminosee siliquis fuscis teretibus 
resinosis, Hermann, Cat. Hort. Lugd. Bat. 5. — Miller, Dict. No. 4. 
Mimosa spinis geminis distinctis, foliis duplicato pinnatis, partialibus 
utrinque octo, Linnzus, Hort. Ups. 146. 
