Perfumery

A rose bush of average strength will give annually from ten to fifteen pounds of blossoms and an orange tree about twice that amount.

A great quantity of blossoms is required to produce any appreciable amount of the absolute flower oil. One pound of attar of roses represents about five million roses, and a pound of violet oil, about twelve million blossoms. It is not therefore surpris ing that genuine high grade attar of roses sells at wholesale for $80 to $110 a pound. The total of the flower crop in the Grasse country may be judged from the fact that Paris perfumers alone purchase annually a million pounds of natural flower oils.

All flower essences are obtained by Distillation, Extraction by Fixed Solvents or Extraction by Volatile Solvents. Distillation is the most widely used. A mixture of the petals and water is heated in a still and the condensation of the mixed steam and essential oil obtained, shows a layer of oil on the the water. This first separation is followed by refining and cleansing processes. The "water" residue of the distillation is the Orange Water, Rose Water, etc., of commerce. In some sections, portable stills are carried from place to place in the mountains for the treatment of those flowers which will not stand transportation.

Violets, jasmines, tuberoses and a number of other flowers will not, however, read ily yield their odors in their native delicacy by the distillation process and they are therefore treated by the "fixed" or "volatile" solvent methods.

Extraction by fixed solvents is performed in two ways, (a) by Hot Maceration and (b) by Inflowering (Enfleurage). In the first named, the blossoms are added to high grade, thoroughly refined melted fat or heated vegetable oil (generally olive oil) and the mixture is allowed to digest, with frequent stirrings, for several hours, the oil being kept fluid and at a uniform temperature. When the flowers have exhausted their aroma, the oil is strained into another pot and fresh blossoms are added, the process being repeated from ten to fifteen times until the fat or oil is thoroughly saturated with the odor. If fats are used, the product is known as "Pomade"; if oils, as "Perfumed Oil." By In flowering, or the cold process, Pomades are secured by spreading cold fat on both sides of framed sheets of glass known as "chassis." The flowers are placed on top of the fat and the chassis on top of each other, the blossoms being thus pressed between two layers of fat. Fresh flowers are substituted from time to time until the fat is heavily charged with the perfume. Cold Process Perfumed Oils are obtained by substi tuting thick cloths saturated with oil for the glass sheets.

The essences are later extracted from the pomades or perfumed oils by treating them with alcohol, which absorbs the greater part of the perfume but very little of the fat. Subsequent distillation and washing processes produce the pure essence.

Extraction by volatile solvents consists in bringing petroleum spirit in contact with the blossoms. When thoroughly charged with their odor, the spirit is dissolved, leaving a residue which consists chiefly of the odorous principle. This process presents many difficulties in the attainment of the best results, but, successfully performed, gives absolute flower oils of high quality.

Artificial and Imitation Flower Essences

are variously obtained. Some of them— as Carnation, Clover, Heliotrope, Lilac, Rose, Sassafras, Vanillin, Verbena, Violet— are successfully produced, in whole or in part, from other vegetable essential oils. Carnation and Vanillin are both made from eugenol, derived from oil of cloves. Safrol, extracted from essential oil of camphor, gives Heliotropine, the basis of Artificial Heliotrope, and is also sold as Artificial Sassafras Oil. Violet is formed by a combination which includes citral extracted from the East Indian Lemon Grass— which also furnishes an odor closely resembling Verbena and marketed as such. Terpineol, obtained by the action of sulphuric acid on turpentine oil, supplies a strong Lilac odor. Geraniol from the Palma Rosa, an East Indian grass of the gera nium order, and Rhodinol, the alcoholic portion of true geranium oil, are the source of the Rose scent of many cheap soaps and perfumes. Amyl Salicylate, produced by treatment 'of amyl alcohol (see EXTRACTS) and salicylic acid, gives a pleasing Clover odor which is similarly employed.

Coal tar is the most prolific of all sources of artificial perfumes. They are obtained from its numerous products in great variety—some closely imitate the expensive natural essences ; others have won popularity as delightful odors not met with in flowers. Many are obtainable at such low cost that they have revolutionized some branches of the perfumery and soap trades. Among the most widely employed are Artificial Musk ; the Orange-blossom perfume from naphthol ethers ; benzaldehyde or Artificial Oil of Bitter Almonds, and Benzyl acetate, which gives a coarse but pleas ing odor resembling Jasmine.

Perfumery Display.

Perfumes should be displayed in a glass case of appropriate size and of as elegant appearance as possible—they should never be so exposed to dust or flies as to endanger the dainty appearance of the packages. Bottles and labels of fancy design are always preferable for retail purposes, but it must be remembered that they do not guarantee quality—careful discrimination should be exercised before laying in a stock, if the perfumery department is to meet with continued success. The grades purchased should be commensurate with the living standards of the community.