OTTER, a name for two distinct animals, the land-otter (Lucre vulgaris, L. nair, L. lop tonyx, and L. Canadensis) and the sea-otter (Enhydra marina). Both are caught for their fur; of the former, Great Britain receives about 20,000 skins a year. The latter, more like the seal in its habits, is obtained in much smaller numbers, but, being the royal fur of China, is highly valued there and in Russia. The otters of India and S.E. Asia are classed by naturalists under the genus Lutm, and sub-family Lutrinm.
The common Indian otter, the Lutra nair, F. Cue., is found throughout India, Ceylon, Burma, and Malayana, from the seashore to considerable elevations, frequenting rivers and salt marshes, making its lair under boulders and rocks. It is trained in Bengal and China to assist in fishing, by driving the fish into the nets. It is easily domes ticated.
The hill-otter of India, L. vulgaris, Erxleben, is the common otter of Europe, and is found only in the Himalaya.
The clawless otter, L. leptonyx, Horsfeld, is found throughout all the Himalaya, from the NM'. to Sikkim, also in Lower Bengal and Arakan.
Lutra auro-brunnea, a small otter of the Hima laya, has been described by Mr. Hodgson.
Lutra baring, Rqffles, is an otter of the Malay Peninsula.
Lutra sinning, Raffles, is found in Singapore and Borneo.—Jerdon ; Horsfeld ; Powell; Blyth. OTTO OF ROSES.
Atr, . . . ARAB. GUJ. I Gulab•ka-atr, . . HIND. . . Cnrx. Atr-i-gul, . . . PERS.
Otto of roses is a perfume obtained by the dis tillation of rose petals. It is manufactured in France, Turkey, Tunis, and Persia, and is also made in Hindustan. Dr. Jackson mentioned that in the early part of the 19th century, . around the station at Ghazipur, there were about 300 bighas, or about 150 acres of ground, laid out in small detached fields as rose gardens, most care fully protected on all sides by high mud walls and prickly pear fences to keep out the cattle. These lands, which belong to zamindars, are planted with rose trees, and are annually let out at so much per bigha for the ground, and so much additional for the rose plants,—generally 5 rupees per bigha, and 25 rupees for the rose trees, of which there are 1000 in each bigha. The additional expense for cultivation would be about 8 rupees; so that for 38 rupees you have for the season per bigha of 1000 rose trees. If the season is good, this
bigha of 1000 rose trees should yield one lakh of roses. Purchasea for roses are always mule at so much per lakh. The price of course varies according to the year, and will average from 40 to 70 rupees. As soon as the roses come into flower, the zamindar and cultivators of the rose ganlens, as well as intending purchasers, meet in the city, and,-according to the demand and expected pro duce, a nerick or market rate is establialusd, and purchasers then enter into agreement with the cultivators for so many Ulu of roses at such a price. This agreement is considered binding, and the cultivator is obliged to deliver the quantity at the contract rate ; when that is completed, another can be made, but this latter is always at a much higher rate.
Unlike the propagation of the specimen roses of England, which depend on grafting, these rose trees are raised from cuttings, which are planted out from nurseries after one year's growth, at an expense of 25 rupees per bigha. These slips are watered every five or six days till the setting in of the rains, and when once they have taken root they are filially transplanted to the rose garden. Here each rose tree is planted 3 feet apart from the other, and on an average 1000 shrubs are allowed to grow in each bigha of land. Rose fields are kept scrupulously clean by constant weeding and loosening of the soil round the root. This operation takes place about three times a year. The best sort of mauuro for roses is sprinkled all over the fields annually, and once a year the fields arc irrigated by flooding them with well water. Pruning takes place in the month of January ; the flowering season is in February and March, when the blossoms arc picked and collected each day before sunrise. The average yield of flowers per bigha is from 30,000 to 60,000. These are sold to the distillers at a rate of from 100 to 125 rupees per lakh of flowers. The total area under rose cultivation in Ghazipur was estimated at about 200 acres, bearing an average rental of 4 rupees per bigha.