64 
THE  FLOWER  FARMS  OF  FRANCE. 
higher  for  violet  leaves  ;  the  latter  being  mainly  produced  at  Nice. 
The  average  prices  are  about  as  follows  : — Rose  leaves  8  to  10 
cents  the  kilogramme  ;  jasmine  leaves,  40  to  50  cents  the  kilo- 
gramme ;  orange  leaves,  50  cents  the  kilogramme ;  acacia  buds, 
60  to  80  cents  the  kilogramme ;  tuberose  leaves,  1  dollar  the 
kilogramme  ;  violet  leaves,  80  cents  to  1  dollar  30  cents  the  kilo- 
gramme. 
These  are{  the  leading  garden-flowers  used  in  Grasse  ;  only 
small  quantities  of  the  jonquil,  narcissus,  hyacinth,  mignonette, 
etc.,  are  produced.  A  great  breadth  of  land  is  devoted  to  lav- 
ender, rosemary,  thyme,  sweet  marjoram,  cherry-laurel,  sage, 
balm,  and  other  medicinal  and  culinary  plants,  which  are  sold 
at  much  lower  rates  than  the  products  of  the  above-named 
flowers. 
The  preparations  derived  from  all  these  plants  divide  them- 
selves into  four  classes  : — essential  oils,  distilled  waters,  pomades 
and  oils,  and  dried  leaves  and  flowers.  It  is  true  that  consider- 
able quantities  of  extracts  of  the  pomades  are  manufactured  and 
sold,  but  they  are  generally  of  inferior  quality,  and  will  not 
compare  with  those  produced  by  the  great  perfumers  of  Paris  and 
this  country. 
The  great  bulk  of  essential  oils  produced  consists  of  lavender, 
rosemary,  thyme,  sage,  spike  lavender,  and  sweet  marjoram. 
The  most  valuable  products,  of  any  considerable  amonnt,  are  the 
essential  oils  of  Neroli  and  Petit  Grain.  The  former  is  the 
result  of  the  distillation  of  orange-flower  water  from  the 
petals  of  the  Bigarade  or  bitter  orange  (the  sweet  or  Portugal 
orange  yielding  a  somewhat  inferior  product,)  and  the  latter  is 
obtained  from  the  green  leaves  of  the  same  tree.  The  price  of 
Neroli  varies  with  the  season  from  30  dols.  to  40  dols.  the  pound, 
of  Petit  Grain  from  8  dols.  to  12  dols.  These  two  oils  are  used 
extensively  in  the  composition  of  Cologne  water,  and  in  combina- 
tion with  bergamot  and  rosemary,  give  its  distinctive  character. 
The  orange-flower  water  is  consumed  in  immense  quantities  in 
France,  in  the  "eau  sucree,"  so  universally  drunk  in  the  hot 
seasons  ;  this,  by  the  way,  is  the  only  form  in  which  a  French- 
man will  drink  water  at  all. 
The  bigarade  orange  tree  also  furnishes  a  rough-skinned,  bit- 
