ON ATTAR OF ROSE. 
287 
Bulgarians. This is the central point of the trade, and the first market from 
which proceeds attar of rose to all countries of the world. The extent of coun¬ 
try over which the attar-producing villages are scattered is bounded by about 
25° and 26° E. long, and 42° and 43° 1ST. lat. The mountain chain which do¬ 
minates this district consists chiefly of syenite, which by its detritus has pro¬ 
duced a soil so fertile as to require but little assistance from man. The climate 
of the district is shown by the vegetation to differ but little from that of the 
Odenvvald or the Black Forest. Wine is produced,—some of it of excellent 
quality,—also silk in rather considerable quantity, etc. etc. The masses of gi¬ 
gantic and noble limes, oaks and chestnuts in the valley of the Tunja are 
remarkable. In the summer of 1862 the average temperature at noon was 82° 
Fahr. ; in the evening 68°. Barometrical measurements in the same year ex¬ 
hibited a regularly recurring depression at midday of 20 millimetres. 
According to some authors the rose which is used for making attar is Rosa 
moschata , according to others R. sempervirens , R. centifolia , R. provincialise or 
R. damascena. The author’s opinion is that the original Kizanlik rose, which 
has been long in cultivation there, is a variety of R. damascena , and in this 
opinion he is supported by Professor Hugo v. Mold. The Kizanlik rose is not 
remarkable for beauty, nor is its scent so intense as might perhaps be expected. 
Other roses as R. moschata and R. cinnamomea yield an essential oil rich in 
stearoptene but of a disagreeable odour in comparison with that of the Kizanlik 
rose. The Kizanlik rose forms a bush of six feet high ; its flowers which appear 
in May and June, are tolerably large, always half double, and stand several on 
a shoot, but never form a numerous tuft. In colour they are bright red, rarely 
white, and then it is said less productive of attar. The rose is cultivated to 
form hedges and rarely manured. The odour of the flowers extends for miles. 
The flow'ers upon expansion are collected before sunrise (often with the calyx), 
and such as are not required for immediate distillation are spread out in cellars, 
the work being so arranged that the flowers are subjected to distillation the 
same day they are gathered. Salting and similar processes are never resorted 
to. The distilling apparatus which is erected in the neighbourhood of some 
stream is of simple description, consisting of a fire-place formed of bricks, on 
which is placed a tinned copper still. The still-head communicates with a re¬ 
frigerator which is simply a straight tin pipe passing obliquely through a tub 
fed with a supply of running water. The product of the distillation is received 
in a long-necked glass flask of the capacity of about 4£ okes (about \\ gallons). 
There are usually several such stills together. 
All being in readiness and the roses for a day’s distilling having been col¬ 
lected, the still is charged with about 10 okes (about 27 lb.) to which is added 
double their volume of water. The fire having been lighted, distillation is carried 
on in the usual manner for about an hour and a half, the result being simply 
very oily rose-water called in Turkish Giil snju (ghyul-suyu). The still is then 
emptied, or rather the exhausted roses are removed from it and thrown away. 
The decoction which remains and which has a very agreeable rosy smell is used 
instead of fresh water for a new distillation. The first distillates from each 
apparatus are united and subjected to distillation by themselves, one sixth being 
drawn off; and the residue is used in the place of spring water for other ope¬ 
rations. The vessels containing the rose water and completely filled with it are 
now kept for a day or two at a temperature exceeding at least 59° Fahr., at the 
end of which time most of the oil, bright and fluid, will have risen to the sur¬ 
face. By means of a very small tin funnel having a fine opening and provided 
with a long handle, the oil is skimmed off and is then in a condition for sale. The 
rose water last drawn which is of extreme fragrance, is reserved for culinary and 
medicinal purposes and is much prized. The resin of the calyx which adheres 
to the knives and hands of those who cut the flow'ers, is collected and prized as 
