258 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



in the early morning. The oil is obtained by the process of 

 enfleurage, as is the case with many of the more delicate 

 perfumes. This process consists essentially in dissolving the 

 essential oil in a fixed oil like cocoabutter or coconut oil, 

 after which the essential perfumery oil is dissolved out in 

 alcohol. Cassie has been widely used as a basis of sachet pow- 

 der. The flowers were at one time used in Hawaii to make 

 a perfume which was sold under the name Pua Hawaii. The 

 aroma of the essential oil of the flowers of this bush is ex- 

 tremely delicate, in some cases being nearly equal to that of 

 ylang-ylang oil. The dried flowers are worth about 50 to 60 

 cents per pound. In France and Algeria, the wholesale price 

 of the flowers is often not above 25 cents per pound. 



MYRRH 



This well known perfume of classic antiquity is obtained 

 from Balsamodendron myrrha, a tree which is native to the 

 Red Sea region. The tree exudes a gum-resin which has 

 been widely used in the Orient as perfume and in Europe and 

 the United States as a tooth tincture for hardening the gums. 

 The resin also yields 2 to 10 per cent, of the essential oil of 

 myrrh. 



BENZOIN 



A gum-resin known as benzoin exudes from the trunk of 

 the tree (Styrax benzoin), native to Siam, Sumatra, and tropi- 

 cal Asia. Ordinarily, the resin is harvested by tapping the 

 tree. In the tapping wound a resin exudes like pine resin. 

 Benzoin comes upon the market in large yellow or brown lumps 

 and is chiefly used in scenting toilet waters and soaps. 



OIL OF NEROLI 



The true oil of neroli is distilled from flowers of the bitter 

 orange and is produced chiefly in southern France, but also to 



