278 POPULAR ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



Asiatic beauty. In Cashmere, the harvest of rose-leaves is 

 celebrated as the festival of the year, and its description in 

 Moore's exquisite poetry is now universally known : — 



" Who has not heard of the Vale of Cashmere, 



With its roses, the brightest that earth ever gave ? " 



***** 



" But never yet, by night or day, 

 In dew of Spring or Summer's ray, 

 Did the sweet valley shine so gay 

 As now it shines — all love and light ! 

 Visions by day and feasts by night ! 

 A happier smile illumes each brow, 



With quicker spread each heart uncloses, 

 And all is ecstasy, — for now 



The Valley holds its Feast of Hoses," 



We receive the attar from Smyrna and Constantinople 

 either in very small flat square phials, holding only a few 

 drops of the precious oil, or else in larger bottles, contain- 

 ing from two to eight ounces. In either case the bottles 

 are of white flint-glass, ornamented with gilding, and the 

 larger ones usually contain the better quality of oil. Like 

 Oil of Aniseed, it has the property of congealing at the or- 

 dinary temperature of this country ; at 80° Fahr. attar of 

 roses is a crystalline solid mass ; its colour is usually a light 

 yellow or straw-colour. Its high price leads to much adul- 

 teration. 



