174 ON THE PEBFUMEEY TRADE 



from which the fragrance can afterwards be transferred by infusion to 

 an alcoholic basis. Maceration is employed for the less delicate flowers, 

 such as the rose, cassie, orange flower, jonquil, and violet, which can bear 

 a tolerable degree of heat without losing their scent. A certain quantity 

 of grease is placed in a pan fitted with a water bath, and brought to an 

 oily consistency. Flowers are then thrown in and left to digest for some 

 hours, after which they are removed, and others put in, and so on for 

 two or three days, until the grease is quite saturated. It is then taken 

 out and pressed in cloth bags. The process of absorption, called by the 

 French enfleurage, is chiefly confined to the jasmine and tuberose flowers, 

 but is sometimes applied to the cassie. It consists of a series of square 

 glass frames, covered with a thin layer of purified grease, in which ridges 

 are made, to facilitate absorption. Fresh gathered flowers are strewed on 

 that layer, and renewed every morning as long as the fiow T er is in bloom^ 

 and by that time the grease has acquired a very strong odour. The same 

 process is used for oil ; but the frames instead of a glass have a wire 

 bottom, over which is spread a thick cotton cloth soaked in olive oil. 

 Flowers are laid on in the same way, and the cloths submitted to a strong 

 pressure to extract the oil when sufficiently impregnated. The frames 

 are piled up en each other to keep them air-tight. 



Grasse, Cannes, and Nice, all in the south of France, and close to 

 each other, are the principal towns where the maceration and absorption 

 processes are in use. There are about 100 houses engaged in those 

 operations, and in the distillation of essential oils, giving employment 

 during the flower season to at least 10,000 people. 



The following are approximate quantities and values of the flowers 

 consumed in that locality for manufacturing purposes : — 



Orange flowers 

 Eose flowers . 

 Jasmine flowers 

 Violets . . . 

 Cassia . . . 

 Tuberose . . 









"Worth about 



kilos. 





lbs. 



£ 



800,000 



or 



1,760,000 



32,000 



250,000 



V 



550,000 



10,000 



50,000 



» 



110,000 



fi,000 



30,000 



» 



66,000 



7,000 



30,000 



)) 



66,000 



10,000 



15,000 



» 



33,000 



3,000 



The average quantities of the principal articles manufactured are : — 



Worth about 

 kilos. lbs. £ 



Scented pomades and oils ... 300,000 or 660,000 250,000 



Rose water 80,000 „ 176,000 5,000 



Orange flower water, 1st quality . 500,000 „ 1,100,000 30,000 



Orange flower water, 2nd quality . 1,000,000 „ 2,200,000 50,000 



This does not include essential oils, which are also distilled to a 

 large amount. 



