3(ii> VIOLET PERFUME. 



are to be treated witli fat. Tlierefore the\' gather the 

 X'iolets earh" in tlie morning ^\lien the dew has dis- 

 appeared, but before the sun lias become hot. Inimediate- 

 \y after g'atliering. t)ie llowers arc taken to the fartor\' 

 wlicre. if thsv are to be treated b\' the process of macer- 

 ation, the\" are put into tat whicli has been \\-armed, 

 and which is i^ept hi|uicl in a bath of water at a tem- 

 perature of from 40" to 5'*° C. After a few hours 

 the fat is strained off from the A'iolets and again replen- 

 islied witli h'esh flowers. ^Phis is continued repeatedK' 

 until tlie fat is L|uite saturated with \iolet perfunie. From 

 tliis fat the scented substance is extracted b\' shaking it 

 up \'\ith spirits (if wine, or good refined corn-brand}'. 



As the \iolet pomade produced b\' the heating 

 process sometimes smells a little of sulphur, the cold 

 jirocess, which is called "enlleurage''. is emplo\'ecl to 

 extract the scent. In the factories \'\'e visited we saw 

 man\- rooms lilled with wooden frames placed one above 

 the other. Each frame contained a sheet of glass spread 

 \\'ith fat and strewn with \'iolets. The frames fitted 

 exactly on to each otlier so that no perfume could pos- 

 sibly escape. When the perfume of one huer of llowers 

 is exhatistcd. tliese are replaced b\ fresh ones, and this 

 is repeated until the fat is saturated. 



Recenth" the I'ctrol-ether method of extraction has 

 come into use for \'iolets. This treatment takes adxantao'e 

 of the great \-olatilit\' of certain subs1,ances, in whicli tlie 

 scents of plants are soluble, especialh" tliat ol Petrol-ether, 

 to extract perfumes from the plants, and to separate them 

 again from their solvents at a low temperature. Special 



