340 



comparatively little being taken in the European markets. It is 

 greenish in colour before being rectified (owing to the use of a 

 copper still) when it becomes clear or yellowish. Some years ago 

 samples of Cajeput oil were made in Malacca from the trees grow- 

 ing there by Mr. DERRY, but for some reason or other the samples 

 did not find favour with the trade, perhaps on account of their 

 colour. 



Flower Scents. 



Acacia Farnesiana, Willd. a native of the West Indies, is 

 one of the trees cultivated in the South of France for extracting 

 the perfume of its flowers known as Cassie. The tree or rather 

 shrub has established itself all over the warmer parts of the 

 world and may often be seen on the sea coasts as it prefers 

 open sandy places. It is readily grown from seed and attains a 

 height of about 10 or 12 feet, producing usually abundance of the 

 little yellow balls of blossoms whence the scent is derived, by the 

 processes of maceration and enfleurage. J he flowers are macerated 

 in olive oil or purified fat in which they are stirred about and left 

 for a day then strained out, and more put in every day till the oil 

 or fat is saturated with the scent. The pomade is then beaten up 

 with strong alchohol, by machinery in drum-shaped copper cylinders, 

 and after a time is allowed to settle; the fat sinks and the alchohol 

 now containing all the perfume is drawn off. In enfleurage the fat 

 is put on panes of glass in frames like windows and the flowers 

 put on and changed daily, till it is saturated with the scent and 

 then the fat is treated as in the maceration process. 



Ylang-ylang oil is obtained from the sweet scented flowers of the 

 Kenanga Cananga adorata, Rumph, a big tree belonging to the 

 order Anonacese. The oil is distilled in the Philippines and Java 

 only, though the tree is common in cultivation in the Straits Set- 

 tlements and could be planted to any extent. The tree is raised 

 easily from seed, and attains the height of 50 or 60 feet with a 

 smooth stem. It is probably native in Tenasserim, but I have not 

 seen an ything to show that it is wild in the Malay Peninsula. The 

 flowers are large about 4 inches across, with six lanceolate green 

 petals becoming yellow when fully openeT During distillation 

 two oils are obtained, the first that comes over is ylang-ylang, the 

 second known as Cananga oil, the former being the finest. The 

 amount of oil produced by the distillation is rather small being 

 about \ per cent. It is much used for hair oil, and perfumery and 

 the Macassar Hair oil is said to consist of the flowers of Cananga 

 and Champaca macerated in coconut oil (Guibourt Comptes Ren- 

 dus, 1873). 



Ylang-Ylang. — "The Ylang-Ylang, or sometimes spelled Ilang- 

 Ilang, while indigenous to many parts of tropical Asia, reaches its 

 greatest perfection in the Philippine Islands, where it is a favorite 

 among the natives. Besides its value as an attar in preparation 

 for the hair and toilet waters, it is also claimed to possess curative 

 virtues in tooth and other aches and pains. In a preparation of 



