«1  MONTHLY.  >> 
Vol.  XV.]  COLOMBO, 
FLOWER-FARMING  IN  AUSTRALIA. 
WIIAT  AU.'HTBATJAN  FAEI\rEP.S.  MANU- 
FACTTTEING  CHEMISTS  AND  TTORTICTTLTUR- 
ISTS  ARE  DOING  IN  THIS  DIRECTION.— A 
LECRATIVE  INDUSTRY.— LITTT.E  OUTLAY 
AND  QUICK  RETURNS. 
(By  W.  Loman,  Melboubne.) 
HE  present  paper  is  intended 
only  as  an  introduction  to  the 
subject, — to  afford  a brief  view 
of  t^e  art  of  perfumery-making. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  do 
otherwise  in  a short  ‘complete’ 
article  like  this.  Scent-making 
already  has  a big  standard 
literature  and  alt  who  wish  for  more  information, 
will  get  a surfeit  of  it  in  any  public  Library. 
Oar  own  people  require  such  information  on  this 
subject.  Why  should  we  not  produce  our  own  per- 
fumery ? 
‘It  is  easier  to  make  perfumery  than  make  butter,’ 
has  often  been  written,  but  this  fact  is  little  known. 
Very  trifling  capital  is  required  ; the  seeds  or  graft- 
ings are  sup,  lied  free  to  Australian  citizens  by  the 
Government  experiment  flower-farm  at  Dunolly,  with 
printed  instructions ; and  a lot  of  literature  on  the 
subject  can  be  had  on  application  to  the  Depail- 
ment  of  Agriculture,  Melbourne. 
A FEW  PERFUMERY  ‘PAINTERS'  : 
Never  grow  plots  of  flowers  too  close  together. 
Reason : If  you  group  various  kinds  of  scent  plants 
too  close  to  each  oth  r — as  lavender  and  pen- 
nyroyal next  door — each  one  will  become  tainted 
one  with  the  other,  and  the  virgin  aroma  of  each 
will  be  confused,  and  the  distilling  wid  not  improve 
iheiii.  An  acre  of  roses  or  jasmine,  for  instance, 
should  be  separated  by,  say,  an  acre  of  potatoes  or 
JULY  1ST,  1895.  [No.  1. 
cabbages,  or  whatever  yon  liko  to  grow  in  the  way 
of  edibles. 
The  plants  are  all  arranged  in  rows  running  due 
North  and  South,  so  as  to  get  tlie  greatest  and 
longest  benefit  from  the  surtshine.  On  the  influence 
of  the  son,  consists,  in  a large  way.  tlie  superiority 
of  the  oil  extracted. 
FlX'  every  perfume,  a separate  still  is  not  entirely 
required,  as  by  a simple  dose  of  sulphuric  or  oil  of 
vitriol  (1  part  to  20  of  water,)  the  still  is  properly 
cleansed.  A 20-gallon  still  costs  £5 ; one  of  50-gallons, 
£30 ; and  one  of  300  gallops,  £80.  To  begin  with, 
a flower  grower  in  a small  way  finds  a 20-gallon 
still  ample. 
What  flowers  does  it  pay  best  to  grow?  The  answer 
is : Boronia  (the  native  perfume  plant  of  Australia) 
tube-rose,  jonquil,  acacia,  rose,  jasmine,  orange.blossorp, 
lavender  and  peppermint.  All  now  command  a market 
both  at  home  and  abroad. 
As  you  go  along,  read  up  all  the  modern  litera- 
tiu^e  concerning  perfumery. 
HOW  THE  distilling  IS  DONE  : 
The  space  below  the  falls  bottom  of  the  still  is 
occupied  by  water,  and  a few  pounds  of  salt  or  alum 
is  dissolved  therein  to  increase  its  boiling-point.  The 
tank  is  now  fiilled  with  the  desired  flowers,  and 
the  funnel-shaped  steam-lid  is  held  in  place  by  being 
screwed  down  and  the  crevice  packed  round  with 
clay  just  damp.  A quick  fire  is  ignited  under  the 
still,  causing  vapour,  which,  percolating  through  the 
flowers  laying  in  the  falls  bottom,  releases  the  attar; 
and  steam  and  oil  go  jointly  up  the  funnel  and  wind 
their  way  through  the  condensing  corkscrew-shaped 
pipe.  A stream  of  co’d  water  running  into  the  tnb 
(or  ice  could  be  used)  helps  to  condense  the  steam  and 
oil,  which  flow  into  a glass  jug  or  vase.  The  oil  is 
seen  floating  on  the  top,  and  is  skinned  off  by  a spatula 
or  black  ivory  paper-knife, — or  sucked  off  the  water 
by  a pipette  (glass  pipe), — a crystal  tube  having  a 
bulb  about  three  inches  from  one  extremity.  Tlie 
distiller  places  one  end  in  his  mouth  and,  lightly 
touching  the  little  floating  filaments  of  essential  with 
tbe  other,  draws  them  into  the  bulb. 
