These are

December and January, when frosts are liable to occur. very light and never sufficient to affect the roots of the plant, and the coverings are intended to protect the blossoms, which during the winter season are sold to florists and are sent to the northern cities of Europe. Roses and other perennial plants are cut down, dug around, and manured in September. The winter crop of blossoms, coming from November to February, is sold to florists. The plants rest until about May, when a second crop of blossoms is produced, which is sold for purposes of distillation. As a protection against insects and diseases, sulphur, lime, and the Bordeaux mixture for vines are generally the only preventive measures used.

KINDS OF PLANTS.

The popular names of the plants used for the purpose of distillation, together with their botanical names and the months during which they are harvested for that purpose, are as follows:

The prices paid for the different kinds of blossoms vary naturally with the supply. Very high prices range only when, for some reason. or other, any special crop fails. As a general rule, the crops, being of a very perishable nature and requiring to be utilized as soon as practicable after being picked, are sold at prices fixed by the distilleries themselves. The producers are therefore more or less at the mercy of immediate buyers in the district, as the loss through spoiling, freights, and other expenses would be very serious, even if it were practicable to forward the crops for long distances to other markets.

The market of Grasse being the principal one, I give below the prices paid per kilogram (2. 2046 pounds) for these blossoms during. the past six years. It should be noted that these prices are for the bare blossom alone, and in the case of roses for the bare rose leaves.

All these blossoms are used in the new system of distillation known as the "enfleurage system," or absorption by grease. Some of them-roses, orange flowers, and a limited amount of jasmineare submitted to the old process of distillation.

I regret that I have been unable to ascertain the approximate quantity used at Grasse, but statistics of this kind, even if they exist at all (and in this case they do not), are very difficult to procure.

This year, in the case of orange flowers, the distillers fixed a price of 6 cents per 2.2046 pounds for the crop, and in many sections proprietors and cultivators preferred to lose their crop, as the price did not cover the expenses of picking and sending to market.

Referring to the Nice market, I may say that the Rose de Mai is the one used principally for distilling. Of late years, however, a quantity of Bobrinski roses and Paul roses have been used. The quantity of Roses de Mai distilled annually here is about 120,000 pounds. The price per kilogram (2. 2046 pounds) has varied for years between 10 and 18 cents-this last price in 1901. This year the price was 13 cents. The following table shows the annual production and the prices paid per kilogram (2.2046 pounds) in the Nice district during the years 1898-1903:

About 1,400 pounds annually, at 57 to 95 cents per 2.2046 pounds.

+ Tuberoses, about 6,000 pounds annually, at contract price of 39 cents per 2.2046 pounds.

+ Pink, or carnation, 35,000 to 50,000 pounds annually, at an average price of 6 cents per 2.2046 pounds.

§ Orange leaves, 150,000 to 200,000 pounds annually, at about $1.90 per 220 pounds.

Tuberoses, about 6,000 pounds annually, at contract price of 39 cents per 2.2046 pounds.

§ Pink, or carnation, 35,000 to 50,000 pounds annually, at an average price of 6 cents per 2.2046 pounds.

[Orange leaves, 150,000 to 200,000 pounds annually, at about $1.90 per 220 pounds.

Regarding Mentone, there is but one distillery there, and the only products distilled are orange leaves and flowers. The average price paid for young leaves is 8 cents per 2.2046 pounds and 10 and 12 cents for the flowers. The aggregate crop of both may be calculated at about 350,000 pounds, and the entire output of the distillery is contracted for by a well-known German manufacturer of eau de cologne.

ROSE GERANIUM LEAVES FOR DISTILLING PURPOSES.

A

I have preferred to treat this subject separately, as it has come to my knowledge that official inquiries on the subject are being made by representatives of other governments. This crop has attained large proportions in this district and the annual production now reaches not less than 3,300,000 pounds. I have also ascertained that 1 hectare (2.471 acres) will produce 55,000 to 66,000 pounds of leaves, which are sold at from $1.14 to $1.33 per 220 pounds. The product in pure essence of each 2,204 pounds is 2.2`pounds. small quantity is annually imported into Grasse from Italy, about 65,000 pounds are brought from Africa, and 55,000 pounds from Ile de la Réunion, near Mauritius. It should be borne in mind that what is known as "Turkish geranium" in the United States is simply 'a superior quality of essence of Palmarosa manufactured in British India and is not geranium at all. In point of fact I can not ascertain that any essence of geranium is manufactured in Turkey.

MINT FOR DISTILLATION.

Experiments as to the cultivation of mint for distilling are going on and a certain amount of land is being cultivated; but I have not yet sufficient data to report thereon. ferred to in a future report.

NICE, FRANCE, August 25, 1903.

The matter will be re

ATTILIO PIATTI,

Vice and Acting Consul.

MANUFACTURE OF PERFUMES IN GRASSE.

(From United States Consul-General Guenther, Frankfort, Germany.)

The following data may interest Americans, especially in southern California:

The city of Grasse, the most important industrial place of the Riviera, is widely known on account of its perfume manufacture. At present 35 concerns making essences of flowers are in operation there. The average consumption of roses for that purpose is about 2,650,000 pounds and that of orange flowers about 660,000 pounds per year. The annual sale of these essences amount to $1,000,000. Vallauris has nine such factories.

The most important product of this industry is oil of neroli, made from the flowers of the bitter orange. A kilogram (2.2 pounds) of this oil is worth $60. From the peel of the bitter orange oil of orange is made. The peel of the sweet orange is seldom used for making oil. The manufacture of essence of roses is also very

extensive.

The so-called oil of roses is manufactured from the grass Andropogon schoenanthus.

The flowers of the large-flowered jasmine yield the oil of jasmine. A hectare (2.471 acres) planted with jasmine is said to yield a yearly product worth $3,000, but requires a great deal of work. Filled violets formerly brought from $1 to $2 per kilogram (2.2) pounds); at present, however, they bring only 50 cents. A kilogram of essence of violets is worth from $4.50 to $5.

Oil of geranium is produced from the flowers of Pelargonium capitatum. The flowers of the tuberose, of the jonquil, and of a species of narcissus are manufactured into essences; also the leaves of the citronella plant, the root of the Iris florentina (violet root), the patchouli flowers, sandalwood, etc.

Fortunately for many places in the Riviera, the consumption of these essences has not decreased in late years.

Although many of these perfumes are bad for the nervous system, others are recognized as antiseptics. It is claimed that the typhus bacillus is killed in twelve minutes by essence of cinnamon, in thirty-five minutes by essence of thyme, and in eighty minutes by essence of patchouli.

RICHARD GUENTHER,

FRANKFORT, GERMANY, September 5, 1903.

Consul-General.

GERMAN TRADE NOTES.

(From United States Consul Warner, Leipzig, Germany.)

Schoenwald China Factory.-The stockholders of the Schoenwald China Factory, which is located at Schoenwald, a village of about 1,500 inhabitants, near Selb, upper Franken, Bavaria, have decided to increase the capital stock from 1,000,000 marks ($238,000) to 1,600,000 marks ($380,800) for the purpose of enlarging their output. The factory before its incorporation on February 5, 1898, was the property of J. N. Müller, of Schoenwald. At present it employs

over 435 hands.

Lime industry in Germany.—One of the reasons why the lime industry has increased so materially in Germany during the last few years is because of the rich quality of its limestone deposits. A large quantity of Gera lime, the annual production of which amounts to over 2,000,000 marks ($476,000), is shipped to Bohemia. One firm is contemplating increasing its capacity to such an extent that Gera will have one of the largest lime kilns in Germany.

German corset prices.—At a meeting of German corset manufacturers, which was held at Cassel on the 15th of September, 1903, it was decided to make a general increase in the price of their articles, in consequence of the prevailing high price of cotton.

New blast furnace in Germany.-At Meiderich, a flourishing city of 33,000 inhabitants in the Province of the Rhine, a new blast furnace is being built by the Meiderich Blast Furnace Company. The company, which was organized on March 15, 1902, taking over the plant belonging to August and Joseph Thyssen, has a capital of 1,500,000 marks ($357,000). At the time it was organized it had only one blast furnace. A second, however, having been completed, has just been fired up, and work has been begun on still another furnace.

Profitable German herring fishery.-At the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Emden Herring Fishing Company, of Emden, which was held in that city on the 12th of September, 1903, it was decided to pay a dividend of 20 per cent, the largest this company