368  VARIETIES. 
into  the  composition  of  some  sachet  powders.  The  oil  of  fennel,  in  con- 
junction with  other  aromatic  oils,  may  be  used  for  perfuming  soap.  It  is 
procurable  by  distillation. 
Flag-sweet  (Acorus  calamus). — The  roots,  or  rizome,  of  the  sweet  flag, 
yield  by  distillation  a  pleasant  smelling  oil;  1  cwt.  of  the  rizome  will  thus 
yield  one  pound  of  oil.  It  can  be  used  according  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
manufacturer  in  scenting  grease,  soap,  or  for  extraits,  but  requires  other 
sweet  oils  with  it  to  hide  its  origin. 
Geranium  {Pelargonium  odoratissimum),  rose-leaf  geranium. — 'The  leaves 
of  this  plant  yield  by  distillation  a  very  agreeable  rosy-smelling  oil,  so 
much  resembling  real  otto  of  rose  that  it  is  used  very  extensively  for  the 
adulteration  of  that  valuable  oil,  and  is  grown  very  largely  for  that  express 
purpose.  It  is  principally  cultivated  in  the  South  of  France,  and  in  Tur- 
key (by  the  rose-growers).  In  the  department  of  the  Seine-et-Oise,  at 
Montfort-Lamaury,  in  France,  hundreds  of  acres  of  it  may  be  seen  grow- 
ing. 1  cwt.  of  leaves  will  yield  about  two  ounces  of  essential  oil.  Used 
to  adulterate  otto  of  rose,  it  is  in  its  turn  itself  adulterated  with  ginger 
grass  oil  [Andropagon),  and  thus  formerly  was  very  difficult  to  procure 
genuine  ;  on  account  of  the  increased  cultivation  of  the  plant,  it  is  now, 
however,  easily  procured  pure.  Some  samples  are  greenish  colored,  others 
nearly  white,  but  we  prefer  that  of  a  brownish  tint. 
When  dissolved  in  rectified  spirit,  in  the  proportion  of  about  three  ounces 
to  the  gallon,  it  forms  the  "  extract  of  rose-leaf  geranium"  of  the  shops.  A 
word  or  two  is  necessary  about  the  oil  of  geranium,  as  much  confusion  is 
created  respecting  it,  in  consequence  of  there  being  an  oil  under  the  name 
of  geranium,  but  which  in  reality  is  derived  from  the  Andropagon  nardus, 
cultivated  in  the  Moluccas.  This  said  andropagon  (geranium !)  oil  can  be 
used  to  adulterate  the  true  geranium,  and  hence  we  suppose  its  nomencla- 
ture in  the  drug  markets.  The  genuine  rose-leaf  geranium  oil  is  fetching 
about  Ss.  per  ounce,  while  the  andropagon  oil  is  riot  worth  more  than  half 
that  sum  per  pound.  And  we  may  observe  here,  that  the  perfuming  essen- 
tial oils  are  best  purchased  through  the  wholesale  perfumers,  as  from  the 
nature  of  their  trades  they  have  a  better  knowledge  and  means  of  obtain, 
ing  the  real  article  than  the  drug  broker.  On  account  of  the  pleasing 
odor  of  the  true  oil  of  rose-leaf  geranium,  it  is  a  valuable  article  for  per- 
fuming many  materials,  and  it  appears  to  give  the  public  great  satisfaction. 
Heliotrope. — Either  by  maceration  or  en-fleurage  with  clarified  fat,  we 
may  obtain  this  fine  odor  from  the  flowers  of  the  Heliotrope  Peruvianum 
or  grandifiorum.  Exquisite  as  the  odor  of  this  plant  is,  at  present  it  is 
not  applied  to  use  by  the  manufacturing  perfumer.  This  we  think  rather  a 
singular  fact,  especially  as  the  perfume  is  powerful  and  the  flowers  abun- 
dant. We  should  like  to  hear  of  some  experiments  being  tried  with  this 
plant  for  procuring  its  odor  in  this  country,  and  for  that  purpose  now  sug- 
gest the  mode  of  operation  which  would  most  likely  lead  to  successful  re- 
