146 
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
of ice and salt, by which a very low temperature is obtained. 
The funnel, on a retort stand, and a small phial or other 
receptacle below, is placed near flowering plants of Eoses, Jas¬ 
mine, Pinks, or Mignonette, &c., and the odour or odours 
evolved, together with moisture, are condensed outside the funnel 
and trickle down into the vessel below. Cut flowers may be 
used and the whole covered with a bell glass as here shown. The 
perfumed water thus obtainable is very pure and perfect when 
fresh, but soon becomes sour unless alcohol is added. In this 
simple way any essential perfume is readily obtainable, and 
people may thus make and enjoy the sweetness of their own 
flowers. 
Another simple way of obtaining and fixing perfume from 
fresh flowers is to gatheiythem dry when at their best and throw 
them into a wide-mouthed bottle or jar half full of olive oil. If 
many mixed flowers are used the result will be a millefleurs, or 
mixed bouquet (melange). After soaking about twenty-four 
hours take out the flowers and squeeze them into a horse-hair 
bag, letting the oil run back into the jar. Kepeat this operation 
until the oil is saturated with perfume, when it can be mixed 
with an equal quantity of deodorised spirit or alcohol, and 
should be shaken up every day for a fortnight; after which the 
spirit may be poured off quite clear, and will be highly charged 
with perfume that was originally absorbed by the oil. Of course 
perfumes, like jams and preserves, can be bought cheaper 
than they can be made at home ; still some may like to prepare 
their own supplies from their own garden all the same. 
Another way is to extract the odours of scented petals by 
effleurage. The flowers are thrown into clean fat in shallow 
earthenware or glass vessels. Mix up the fat and the flowers 
and keep on adding flowers or scented petals from time to time, 
and when the fat has absorbed the perfume it may be dissolved 
out with pure alcohol, as in the case of the oil method. 
Pretty Oriental jars with close-fitting covers may be three parts 
filled with dry fresh petals of Pinks, Cloves, Carnations, or Eoses ; 
then add the rinds of two or three lemons (cut thin), an ounce of 
orris-root (powdered), half a pound or more of bay salt, one ounce 
of benzoin (powdered), ditto cinnamon, ditto cloves, ditto nutmeg 
(powdered), one grain of musk, ten or twelve sweet bay leaves, 
and one ounce each of eau de Cologne, lavender water, and 
