304 PRRFUMK FACTOR^'. 



rant, like our Peppermint {Mentha Piperita}^ or Melissa 

 (M.ofpciiialis). or the Indo-2\Iala\'an I'atchouli ( Poouts/ciiioii 

 Pa/cl/oii/i) . Finalh fruits and needs nia\ also contain 

 the scented materials, as for instance Vanilla or Cumin. 

 White flouers yeneralh' ^-ield stronger and more 

 delicious fragrance, wliereas brown and orange -red 

 llowers \-ield \-er\- little of an\- \'alue to tlie perfimie 

 industrA'. 



We had provided ourselves \\ 1th tlie necessar\- intro- 

 ductions, and were permitted to inspect some of the largest 

 Perfume factories in (jrasse. The processes were in the 

 main e\'er\-where tlie same. Sweet scented substances 

 that are abundant in one portion of a plant, and are 

 secreted in ratlier large glands, can be set free bA' pressure. 

 In other cases the usual process of distillation is em- 

 ploA'ed, provided tliat the essence ^^•ill not suffer h\ being 

 heated. Where this is to be feared distillation is carried 

 on under a lou- air pressure and at a much lower tem- 

 peratru'e. ISut frequenth'. when tlie latter process is not 

 advisable Xhay ha\e recourse to maceration A^-itli lii|uid 

 fats, to absorbtion bv cold fats, or to \'olatile soKxaits. 

 Certain tlowers are unsuited for distillation as the^' contain 

 too little ethereal oil. ^\gain some llowers, such as Jasmine 

 and the Tuberose, continue to produce scented substances 

 even after being gathered, and therefore must not be 

 killed immediateh'. d^he problem is, then, liow to extract 

 the scent from them as it is being tormed. Such llowers 

 are the ver-\- opposite ot those that require to be rapidh' 

 killed because their scent snbstance decomposes easih'. If 

 material of this sort cannot be worked immediateU', it 



