PERFUMERY GARDENING 



PERFUMERY GARDENING 



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in the rejj:iou of the maritime Alps. The plant has 

 been introtluced, however, into some of the southern 

 counties of England (Mitcham and Hitchin being the 

 centrrs), :uid found to produce there an oil which has 

 cnniiiiniily ln'cn regarded as far superior to the French, 

 and at any rate is different in kind (see Mentha). The 

 English lavender is grown in light and well-drained 

 calcareous soils. In well-drained ground lavender will 

 bear some cold, especially if protected, but profit can- 

 not be looked for far north. Lavender of the French 

 type may be expected to succeed in California out of 

 the reach of the trade-winds, and may perhaps not 

 require irrigation. There are shallow calcareous soils 

 in the "black belt" of the Gulf states which might per- 

 haps yield an oil like the English, and the same may be 

 true of some tracts northward on the Pacific slope. 

 Lavender is treated by distillation, and it is said in 

 England that direct contact with the water yields better 



for fine soaps. This so-called oil is a poisonous com- 

 pound formed in the process of fermenting the cake of 

 the kernels from which the fixed oil has been expressed. 

 Its production should be considered in our almond- 

 growing regions, especially California. 



Of our native growths there are some which are 

 already utilized as the source of s 

 The root of sassafras is or has been 

 sylvania, Maryland and Virginia, am 

 states, and sparingly southward. \' 

 tJieria procumbens, was formerly disi 

 but has given place to sweet or ■Inrrx 1 

 which yields the same oil less c\|ii n 

 of the red cedar, Junipenis I'in/iuii 

 distilled in Germany, and latterly in this country, 

 furnishes a finer eedar-of-Lebanon perfume than the 

 cedar of Lebanon itself. 



The root of the wild ginger or Canada snakeroot, 

 Asariim Canadense, yields a fragrant oil quoted in 

 market reports, and said to be used especially for 

 strengthening other perfumes. The sweet goldenrod, 

 Solidago odora, furnishes an oil which has a market 



1721. Perfumery plants: Iris Florentina; J 



results than the application of dry steam. (See, also, 

 Lavnndula.) 



Thyme (chiefly the garden thyme, Thymus vulgaris) 

 furnishes a perfume particularly suited to soaps and 

 imported into this country in large quantities. Rose- 

 mary has a stimulating property and is an essential 

 ingredient in Cologne water. Both of these could quite 

 possibly be grown, say in California, but might not be 

 able to compete well with the spontaneous product of 

 Europe. 



Some notice should be taken, too, of the rather hum- 

 ble group of odorous plants belonging to the parsley 

 family, including anise, caraway and fennel. Not only 

 are the oils of these three (chiefly anise) largely im- 

 ported, but also their seeds (chiefly caraway). Caraway 

 runs wild northerly, fennel has established itself on the 

 lower Potomac, and anise could doubtless be grown, but 

 there is no reason to expect large profits from these 

 plants. 



There are several plants deserving consideration 

 which do not fall into any of these groups. One is the 

 jasmine {JasmiHum grandiflorum and J, Samhac). 

 Fig. 1721. This furnishes almost the only odor which 

 cannot be imitated by combinations of others. The oil 

 of jasmine is very valuable. The plants can be grown 

 in our warmest regions. The tuberose furnishes another 

 choice perfume and has been very successfully grown 

 for the purpose in Florida. {See PoliantJies.) The helio- 

 trope (Fig. 1032), jonquil (Fig. 1460), and mignonette 

 are also to be named. Of a quite different scent from 

 any of these is the oil of bitter almond, so important 



standing. The rich odor of the yellow jessamine of 

 the South has been successfully extracted in Florida. 

 The common market perfume of magnolia is doubtless 

 mostly or entirely an imitation, and the same is probably 

 true of Clefhra ahiifolia perfume. The great magnolia, 

 Magnolia grand if/oyii, abounds in the South, but its 

 flowers might be difficult to secure in quantity. Clethra 

 is abundant enough in the Atlantic coast region, but 

 some difficulty might be experienced with it owing to 

 the fact that only a part of the flowers in the raceme 

 open at one time. The flowers of the swamp magnolia 

 or sweet h&j. Magnolia Virginiana or M. gfanca (Fig. 

 1347), should be tried. The spice bush, Benzoin odor- 

 iferum, affords several scents. The sweet and copious 

 bloom of Azalea arhorescens in the southern mountains 

 has been suggested for treatment. It is to be feared 

 that the delicious odor of the native crab apples would 

 be too expensive, considering the difiiculty of collecting 

 enough petals. The bloom of the wild grape might well 

 be thought of. Many of our plants— these are only 

 examples — will eventually be tried and a few will be 

 found steadily valuable. It is useless to expect com- 

 mercial success with small and scanty-flowered plants 

 like trailing arbutus, Epigma repens^ however pleasing 

 in their natural state. 



The production of perfumery oils may be conducted 

 on large farms by capitalists; or a central establish- 

 ment may contract with individuals for flowers and 

 other materials ; or the business may be carried on 

 cooperatively; or individuals may operate on a small 

 scale in connection_with other lines of ftwming. Some 



