no.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Sept..,  1890. 
Otto  of  Rose  Cultivation. 
463 
OTTO  OF  ROSE  CULTIVATION  IN  TURKEY.1 
Writing  from  Constantinople,  under  date  of  May  21,  Mr.  Herm. 
A.  Holstein  says  that  according  to  the  last  reports  from  his  branch 
house  in  Kissanlik,  the  condition  of  the  rose  fields  was  not  exactly 
an  unfavorable  one.  However,  a  drought  had  been  prevailing  for 
the  last  few  weeks,  and  just  before  the  beginning  of  the  distillation 
of  the  roses,  rain  would  be  most  desirable.  Should  the  drought 
continue  for  a  fortnight  more,  a  heavy  deficiency  in  the  result  of  the 
crop  will  be  experienced.    Continuing,  Mr.  Holstein  says  : 
An  accurate  estimate  can  only  be  arrived  at  later  on.  Owing  to 
enlarged  cultivation  of  rose  bushes  during  the  last  decade,  the  pro- 
duction of  otto  of  rose  has  been  largely  increased,  but  as  the  nature 
of  the  soil,  sufficient  water  supply  and  the  climatic  location  of  the 
rose  fields  influence  greatly  the  quality  of  the  oil,  the  value  of  same, 
according  to  the  location  of  the  producing  places,  has  been  greatly 
changed.  Generally  the  oil  distilled  from  roses  growing  on  the 
high  slopes  on  the  south  side  of  the  Balkans  is  more  highly  con- 
gealable  than  that  of  roses  grown  in  the  plains.  The  market  price 
in  Kissanlik  as  a  rule  is  fixed  on  the  basis  of  the  congelation  point, 
the  higher  congealable  oils  fetching  highest  prices ;  even  too  high 
in  proportion  to  oils  of  lower  »  degrees.  By  far  the  larger  portion 
of  the  total  production  congeals  within  13^°  to  150  Reaumur, 
while  of  oil  congealing  under  130  and  above  1 6°  Reaumur,  only  a 
limited  quantity  is  produced.  The  assertion  made  in  some  quarters 
that  an  actually  pure  otto  of  rose  congeals  only  from  140  to  160 
Reaumur,  and  that  oil  congealing  below  120  Reaumur  must  be 
adulterated  is  absolutely  incorrect.  If  it  were  true,  under  what 
category  would  those  oils  that  congeal  from  140  down  to  120 
Reaumur,  and  which  form  a  large  proportion  of  the  total  crop,  have 
to  be  placed.  It  is  a  matter  of  fact  that  some  villages  produce  a 
very  fine  pure  oil  that  does  not  congeal  above  130  to  13^°  Reau- 
mur, and  that  in  other  villages  just  as  fine  an  oil  is  produced  that 
congeals  at  a  lower  degree  only.  Again,  it  is  a  fact  that  other 
villages  produce  an  oil  congealing  at  14-14^°  R.,  but  in  conse- 
quence of  inferior  perfume  it  is  worth  considerably  less  than  oil  of 
lower  degree.  There  are  also  several  villages  producing  oil  vary- 
ing greatly  in  regard  to  congelation  ;  among  others  I  mention  Diliri 
1  From  the  Oil,  Paint  and  Drug  Reporter,  July  2,  1S90. 
