To procure the attar or otto of roses, the roses are put into the still, and the water passes over gradually, as in the case of the rose-water process ; after the whole has come over, the rose-water is placed in a largo metal basin, which is covered with wetted muelin tied over to prevent insecta or dust getting into it ; this vend in let into the ground about two feet, which has been previously wetted with water, and it le allowed to remain quiet during the whole night. The attar is always made at the beginning of the season when the nights aro cool. In the morning the little film of attar which has formed upon the surface of the roee water during the night is removed by means of a feather, and carefully placed in a small phial ; and day after day, as the collection is made, it is placed for a short period in the sun, and after a sufficient quantity has been procured, it is poured off clear, and of the colour of amber, into small phials. Pure attar, when it has been removed only 3 or 4 days, has a pale greenish hue ; by keeping, it loses this, and in a few weeks' time it becomes of a pale yellow. The first few days' distillation does not produce such fine attar as comes off aftenvards, in consequence of the dust or little particles of dirt in the still and the tubo being nuxed with it. This is readily separated, from its sinking to the bottom of the attar which melts at a temperature of 84°. From one'lakh of roses it is generally calculated that 180 grains, or 1 tola, of attar can be procured • more than this can be obtained if the roses are fu'll-sized, and the nights cold to allow of the congelation. The attar purchased in the bazar is generally adulterated, mixed with sandal oil or sweet oil. Not even the richest native will give the price at which the purest attar alone can be obtained, and the purest lattar that is made is sold only t,o Europeans, selling at from 50 to 90 rupees the tola.
In India, native stills are let out at so much per day or week, and it frequently occurs that the residents prepare some rose-water for their own uso as a present to their friends, to secure their being provided with that which is the best. The natives of •India never remove the calyces of -the rose flowers, but place the whole into the still as it comes from the garden. The best plan appears t,o be to have these removed, as by this means the rose-water may be preserved a longer time, and is not spoiled by the acid smell occasionally met with in the native rose-water. It is usual to cal culate 100 bottles to 1 lakh of roses. The rose water should always be twice distilled • over 10,000 roses, water may be put to allow of 16 or 20 bottles coming out ; the following day these 20 bottles are placed over 8000 more roses, and about 18 bottles of rose-water are distilled. This
may be considered the best to bo met with. The attar is so much lighter than the rose-water, that previous to use it is better to expose the rose water to the sun for a few days, to allow of its being well mixed ; and rose-water that has been kept six months is always better than that which has recently been made. At the commencement of the rose season, people front all parts come to make their purchases and very large quantities are prepared and sold.' There are about 36 placce in the city of Ghazipur where rose-water is dis tilled. These people generally put a largo quantity of sandal oil into the receiver ; tho oil is afterwards carefully removed and sold as sandal-attar, and the water put into carboys and disposed of as rose water. At tho time of sale, a few drops of sandal oil are placed on the neck of the carboy to give it a fresh scent, and to many of the natives it appeans perfectly immaterial whether thn scont Arice, Anlolv from the sandal oil or from the roses. Large quantities of sandal oil are every year brought up from the south of India and expended in this way.
The chief use the natives appear to make of the rose-water, and the sandal-attar or sandal-oil, is at the period of their festivals and weddings. It is then distributed largely to the guests as they arrive, and sprinkled with profusion in the apart ments. A large quantity of rose-water is sold at Benares, and many of the native rajas send over to Ghazipur for its purchase. Most of the rose water, so soon as distilled, is taken away, and after six months from the termination of the manufacture there are not more than four or five places where it is to be met with. The value of the roses sold for the manufacture of rose-water may be estirnated at 15,000 to 20,000 rupees a year ; and from the usual price asked for the rose water, and for which it is sold, there may be a profit of 40,000 rupees. The natives are very fond of using the rose-water as medicine, or as a. vehicle for other mixtures, and they consume a good deal of the petals for the conserve of roses, or gul-kand, as they call it. The delightful fragrance from the Ghazipur rose fields can be scented at 7 miles distance on .the river Ganges. The most approved mode of ascertaining the quality of attar is to drop it on a piece of paper ; its strength is ascertained by the quickness with which it evaporates, and its worth by its leaving no stains on the paper. The best otto is now manufactured at Constantinople, and it is largely made in France.—O'Shaughnessy, p. 326.