April 1, 1865.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 385 



in cloth bags ; and in Calabria, where the larger quantity is manufac- 

 tured, they roll the fruit between two bowls, one placed inside the other, 

 the concave part of the lower and the convex part of the upper being 

 armed with sharp spikes. These bowls revolve in a contrary direction, 

 causing the small vesicles on the surface of the fruit to burst and 

 give up the essence contained in them, which is afterwards collected 

 with a sponge. The rinds are also sometimes distilled ; but the 

 former process, which is called in French au zest, gives a much purer 

 essence. 



Maceration and absorption are both founded on the affinity which 

 fragrant molecules have for fatty bodies, becoming more readily fixed 

 into them than into any others. Thus the aroma of flowers is first 

 transferred into greases (called pomades) and oils, which are made 

 afterwards to yield it to alcohol ; whilst the latter, if placed in direct 

 contact with the flowers, would not extract it from them. The first 

 attempt that was made in this way, some two hundred years ago, was to 

 place some almonds in alternate layers with fresh-gathered flowers, re- 

 newing the latter several days, and afterwards pounding the almonds in a 

 mortar, and pressing the oil which had absorbed the aroma. This is the 

 same process now used in India by the natives for obtaining perfumed 

 oils, substituting gingelly or sesamurn seeds for almonds. The next im- 

 provement was to use a plain earthen pan, coated inside with a thin 

 layer of grease, strewing the flowers on the grease, and covering it over 

 with another jar similarly prepared. After renewing the flowers for a 

 few days, the grease was found to have borrowed their scent. This pro- 

 cess was abandoned in France some fifty years ago, but is still resorted 

 to by the Arabs (who were probably the inventors of it), the only 

 difference being that they use white wax mixed with grease, on account 

 of the heat of the climate. 



Maceration is used for the less delicate flowers, such as the rose, 

 orange, jonquil, violet, and cassie {Acacia Farnesiana). A. certain 

 quantity of grease is placed in a pan fitted with a water-bath, and is 

 brought to an oily consistency. Flowers are then thrown in and left to 

 digest for some hours, stirring them frequently, after which the grease 

 is taken out and pressed in horsehair bags. This operation is repeated 

 until the fatty body is sufficiently impregnated with the fragrance of the 

 flowers. Oil is treated in the same way, but requires less heat. 



The process of absorption, called by the French enfleurage, is chiefly 

 coafined to the jasmine and tuberose, the delicate aroma of which 

 would be injured by heat. (For a description of the process, I may refer 

 back to vol. iii., p. 174.) 



A new mode of enfleurage has been lately devised by Mr. D. Semeria, 

 of Nice, and found to offer advantages over that previously in use. In- 

 stead of laying the flowers on the grease, he spreads them on a fine net 

 mounted on a separate frame. This net is introduced between two 

 glass frames covered on both sides with grease. The whole series of 



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