242 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Jacksonia cupulifera, Meissner. 



West -Australia. It might prove an advantage, to disseminate 

 this small tree in arid desert-regions, as horses and cattle relish 

 the foliage amazingly. Several other Jacksonias share the local 

 renown, which this congener of theirs has acquired from its utility 

 as a pasture-bush, notably so the tall-shrubby J. scoparia of South- 

 Eastern Australia; it would, therefore, be worth while to dis- 

 seminate these kinds of plants in apt localities. 



Jasminum grandiflorum, Linne.* 



From India to Japan. Flowers white. Extensively cultivated 

 in South-Europe. It is planted in rows 3 feet apart. Leek, 

 tuberoses and similar plants are used, to occupy the spare-ground 

 for the first year; 1,000 plants in the second year after 

 grafting produce 50 kilos (about 1 cwt.) of flowers in rich soil. 

 Ten thousand Ibs, can be produced on a hectare (nearly 2f acres); 

 these under very favorable circumstances will realise a profit of 

 230 per annum. Dr. Piesse records, that in very recent times at 

 Grrasse, Cannes and the adjoining villages about 100,000 Ibs. of 

 Jasmin-flowers were gathered annually for perfumery-purposes, the 

 price there being about Is. a Ib. According to the "Revue 

 des Sciences Naturelles Appliquees " of May 1891 p. 720, the 

 quantity seems to have risen to fully 300,000 Ibs., gathered from 

 the middle of May to the end of June. The plants must be guarded 

 against frost and exposure to wind [Deherain]. In France this 

 jasmin is generally grafted on J. officinale. The bushes are richly 

 manured and well watered. Ordinary cleft-grafting is practised, 

 the stock being headed down to near the ground. A good work- 

 man and assistant will graft about 1,000 plants in a day. The 

 delicate scent is withdrawn, either by fixed oil or fat through 

 alcohol, if not required by itself, or it may be drawn over along 

 with oil of orange-peel. The pecuniary yield obtainable from 

 Jasmin-cultivation seems vastly overrated, even if inexpensive labor 

 could be procured. The concrete oil is an article of commerce. 

 Messrs. Blogg prepare it in the following superior and expeditious 

 manner here : Fresh flowers without stalks are macerated for some 

 few minutes in deodorized methyl-chloride ; the liquid is then 

 allowed to run off into a closed receiver for subsequent distillation; 

 this maceration proceeds till all scent is withdrawn by additional 

 methyl ; the distillation is effected at a temperature of only about 

 86 F.; this volatises the methyl-chloride, which when thus regained 

 is used for treatment of other lots of flowers. The concrete oil, as 

 containing the perfuming principle in a waxy or fatty nature, 

 remains behind after the evaporation of the methyl, and is worth 

 about 30 shillings an ounce. A small quantity of this solid sub- 

 stance suffices for preparing a good deal of the "essence" ordinarily 

 in use. 



