570 



OLEAGINOUS PLANTS. 



of the flower. At Grhazipoor the jasmine and bela are chiefly 

 employed ; the oil is kept in the dubbers, and sold for about 4s. 

 a seer. 



The newest oils aflbrd the finest perfume. In Europe a fixed 

 oil, usually that of the bean or morerja nut, is employed. Cotton 

 is soaked in this, and laid over layers of flowers, the oil being 

 squeezed out so soon as impregnated with perfume. Dr. Johnson 

 thus describes the culture and manufacture : — 



Cultivation of Roses. — Around the station of Ghazipoor, there are ahout 300 

 biggahs (or about 150 acres) of ground laid out in small detacbed fields as rose 

 gardens, most carefully protected on all sides by bigb mud walls and prickly pear 

 fences, to keep out tbe cattle. Tbese lands, wbicb belong to Zemindars, are 

 planted witb rose trees, and are annually let out at so mucb per biggab for tbe 

 ground, and so mucb additional for the rose plants — generally five rupees per 

 biggab, and twenty-five rupees for tbe rose trees, of wbicb tbere are 1,000 in 

 eacb biggab. Tbe additional expense for cultivation would be about eigbt rupees 

 eigbt annas ; so tbat for tbirty-eigbt rupees eigbt annas you bave for tbe season one 

 biggab of 1,000 rose trees. 



If tbe season is good, this biggab of 1,000 rose trees should yield one lac of 

 roses. Purcbases for roses are always made at so mucb per lac. Tbe price of 

 course varies according to tbe year, and will average from 40 to 70 rupees. 



Manufacture of Rose-water. — Tbe rose trees come into flower at tbe begin- 

 ning of Marcb, and continue so tbrougb April. Early in tbe morning tbe flowers 

 are plucked by numbers of men, women, and children, and are conveyed in 

 large bags to tbe several contracting parties for distillation. Tbe cultivators 

 tbemselves very rarely manufacture. 



Tbe native apparatus for distilling tbe rose-water is of tbe simplest con- 

 struction ; it consists of a large copper or iron boiler well tinned, capable 

 of holding from eight to twelve gallons, having a large body witb a rather 

 narrow neck, and a mouth about eight inches in diameter ; on the top of this is 

 fixed an old dekchee, or cooking vessel, with a bole in tbe centre to receive tbe 

 tube or worm. 



This tube is composed of two pieces of bamboo, fastened at an acute angle, 

 and it is covered tbe whole length with a strong binding of corded string, over 

 which is a luting of earth, to prevent the vapour from escaping. The small end, 

 about two feet long, is fixed into tbe bole in tbe centre of the bead, where it is 

 well luted with flower and water. The lower arm or end of tbe tube is carried 

 down into a long-necked vessel or receiver, called a bbulka. This is placed in 

 a bandee of water, which, as it gets hot, is changed. The head of the still is 

 luted on to tbe body, and the long arm of the tube in the bbulka is also well pro- 

 vided witb a cushion of cloth, so as to keep in all vapour. The boiler is let into 

 an earthen furnace, and the whole is ready for operation. Tbere is such a va- 

 riety of rose-water manufactured in tbe bazar, and so much that bears the name, 

 which is nothing more than a mixture of sandal oil, that it is impossible to lay 

 down tbe plan which is adopted. The best rose-water, however, in the bazar, 

 may be 'computed as bearing tbe proportion of one thousand roses to a seer of 

 water; this, perhaps, may be considered as the best procurable. 



From one thousand roses most generally a seer and a half of rose-water is dis- 

 tilled, and perhaps from this even the attar has been removed. Tbe boiler of the 

 still will hold from eigbt to twelve or sixteen thousand rcses. On eigbt thousand 

 roses from ten to eleven seers of water will be pb-ced, and eight seers of rose- 

 water will be distilled. This after distillation is placed in a carboy of glass, and 

 is exposed to the sun for several days to become pucka (ripe) ; it is then stopped 

 with cotton, and has a covering of moist clay put over it ; this b 3coming bard, 

 effectually prevents tbe scent from escaping. The price of this will be from 

 twelve to sixteen rupees. This is tbe best that can be procured. 



Attar of Roses. — To procure the attar, tbe roses are put into the still, and the 

 water passes over gradually, as in the case of tbe rose-water process ; after the 

 whole has come over, the rose-water is placed in a large metal basin, wbicb is 



