179 



the sponge-process ; it is also applied to the orange. It appears rude and 

 wasteful, but when honestly performed it yields an excellent product. 



Essence of lemon is prepared at Mentone and Nice by a different me- 

 thod. The object being to set free and to collect the oil contained in 

 the vesicles of the peel, an apparatus is employed, which may be thus 

 described : a stout saucer or shallow basin of pewter, about 8 J inches in 

 diameter with a lip on one side for convenience of pouring. Fixed in 

 the bottom of this saucer are a number of stout, sharp, brass pins, stand- 

 ing up about half an inch ; the centre of the bottom is deepened into a 

 a tube about an inch in diameter and five inches in length, closed at its 

 lower end. This vessel, which is called an ecuelle a piquer, has therefore 

 some resemblance to a shallow, dish- shaped funnel, the tube of which 

 is closed below. 



The workman takes a lemon in the hand, and rubs it over the sharp 

 pins, turning it round so that the oil-vessels of the entire surface may 

 be punctured. The essential oil which is thus liberated is received in 

 the saucer whence it flows down into the tube ; and as this latter be- 

 comes filled, it is poured into another vessel that it may separate from 

 the turbid aqueous liquid that accompanies it. It is finally filtered, and is 

 then known as Essence de Citron an zeste. A sort of ecuelle on a large 

 scale, capable of operating on six or eight fruit at a time, or about 7,0l>0 

 per day, is used for extracting Bergamotte oil. It con>ists of a metal 

 vase perforated with small holes at the bottom, and is provided with a 

 heavy rotatory lid communicating by cog-wheels with a handle. There 

 is a channelled groove round the inner circumference, for the reception of 

 the fruit ; the inner surface of the lid and the groove are fitted with short 

 metallic blades projecting about one inch and a quarter. The rapid ro- 

 tation of the lid, which presses on the fruit, causes them to revolve and 

 become lacerated at all points, and the liberated oil flows through the 

 perforated bottom into a receiver. A small additional produce is some- 

 times obtained by immersing the scarified lemons in warm water and 

 separating the oil which floats off. 



A second kind of essence termed Essence de Citron distillee is ob- 

 tained by rubbing the surface of fresh lemons, or of those which have 

 been submitted to the process just described on a coarse grater of tin- 

 ned iron, by which the portion of peel richest in essential oil is removed. 

 This grated peel is subjected to distillation with water, and yields a 

 colourless essence of very inferior fragrance, which is sold at a low price. 



Sawer states that the Government Chemist in Jamaica supplied him 

 with samples of oils of the Seville and Sweet Oranges, which although 

 very fine for distilled products, are not equal in fragrance to those ob- 

 tained by the cold process in Europe ; and that on an average 580 oranges 

 will weigh 180 lbs., and yield 12 ozs. of oil. 



Oil from Leaves.' 



The Oil of Petit- grain was formerly made altogether by distillation 

 from the small unripe Orange fruits about the size of a cherry, which 

 fall from the tree shortly after the flowers ; they are called " orangettes." 

 The name " petit-grain," or small seed indicates this origin of the term. 

 At present the oil of petit-grain is also made on a large scale from the 

 leaves and young shoots of both Bitter and Sweet orange, the former 

 being much more odorous than the latter, and worth twice the price. 



