April 1, 1865-1 THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 397 



The extracts named after those flowers are generally produced by com- 

 bination. 



The herbal series comprises all aromatic plants, such as lavender, 

 spike, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, Reranium, patchouly, 

 and wintergreen, which yield essential oils by distillation. 



Lavender was extensively used by the Romans in their baths, 

 whence it derived its name.* It is a nice clean scent, and an old and 

 deserving favourite. The best lavender {Lavandula vera) is grown at 

 Mitcham, in Surrey, and Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. It is produced by 

 slips, which are planted in the autumn, and yield flowers the next year 

 and the two following ones, when they are renewed. Mr. James Bridges, 

 the largest distiller of lavender and peppermint, cultivates those two 

 plants on an extensive scale near Mitcham. During the flower season 

 he has three gigantic stills in operation, each able to contain about one 

 thousand gallons. A great deal of essence of lavender is also manu- 

 factured in France, but, as I said before, it is very inferior to the English. 

 It is obtained from the same plant, which grows wild in great abun- 

 dance in most Alpine districts. Portable stills are carried into the 

 mountains, and the herb distilled on the spot. The same process is 

 used for rosemary and thyme. 



Spike {Lavandula spica) is a coarser species of lavender, which is 

 principally used for mixing with the other, or for scenting common 

 soaps. A third sort of lavender {Lavandula Stcechas) has a beautiful 

 odour, and would yield a very fragrant essence, but it is very scarce in 

 France ; the only places where I met with it in quantities were Spain and 

 Portugal, and there it is only used to strew the floors of churches and 

 houses on festive occasions. 



Peppermint {Mentha piperita) is more used by confectioners than by 

 perfumers, yet the latter find it useful in tooth-powders and washes. 

 It is, like lavender, best grown in England, the foreign being very 

 inferior. The American comes next to the English in quality. 



Rosemary {Rosmarinus officinalis) is another plant of the labiate 

 order, which yields a powerful essence, used chiefly for scenting soap. 

 Its resemblance to camphor is very remarkable. 



There are two sorts of thyme distilled — ordinary thyme {Thymus 

 vulgaris) and wild thyme, or serpolet {Thymus Serpyllum). Marjoram 

 {Origanum Majorana) belongs to the same class. 



The rose-geranium {Pelargonium odoratum) yields an essence which 

 is greatly prized by perfumers on account of its powerful aroma, by 

 means of which they impart a rosy fragrance to common articles at a 

 much less cost than by using otto of roses, which is worth six times as 

 much. It is principally cultivated in the South of France, Algeria, and 

 Spain. The latter produces the finest essence. 



Patchouli {Pogdstemon patchouli) comes from India, where it is known 



* From the Latin lavare, to wash. 



