BORONIA AND SWEET LAVENDER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 47, 19 November 1917, Page 3

BORONIA AND SWEET LAVENDER

With the delicious scent of the boronia wafted at every street corner and in our gardens, the question again arises, why, in this land of flowers, do we not make our'own perfumery? (writes "Queen Bee" in the Australasian"). If any other nation of tho world had such a lovely flower some, firm would soon make millions out of it, and, of course, Australia would bnv her share, iiut as it is horc at our door it is neglected, and is permitted to waste its sweetness ungathered. Probably the following litle story may suggest a reason why scent-making in Australia is neglected. Some years ago a ,representative of a French perfumery firm came lo Australia in order to find out if there was any possibility of making perfume profitably. He found the flowers nil that could be desired and more, land reasonable in price, and export not expensive. In was favourable, with the exception of one item, which he sorrowfully admitted, the fear of .labour trouble. And so lie returned to France, and was never heard of again. Ho was of opinion that our flowers would make the best scent in the world, and would have been prepared .to' spend approximately ,£l2, ooft a year iu wnges, but the industrial outl.iok was too forbidding for him to advise his firm to take .'the risk. . We live siirrn'iiuM by ■floivcrs, and tliey can be gathered in abundance for nine months in the year. There are no difficulties in production. The chief art of perfumery lies in _ Hie blending of the various odours obtained from the essential oils of sweet-scented flowers so that they give off a pleasant and lasting fragrance. 1 To do this in ail extensive way some knowledge and practical sk'JJ | are necessary, but tlioy arc onlyli small detail when the immense possibilities of local manufacture are considered. Bottle, label, and boxmaking have mr/de great strides here of late years, so that now there are practically 110 obstacles in this direction. Tnke lavender-growing, for the production of perfume, of sachets, and of faggots. Once well stnrted, lavender- ; growing does not give much trouble. One plot of land can be used year in year out, and no doubt in our genial climate the'plants would do infinitely better than abroad. During the last two months of . summer, when the blue spikes havs reached the zenith of their lovely colour, caey are cut for the distillery, liac'u uundle is placed on the top of its busn till all has been repaid; then it is packed in slieets of clean sacking. The progress of distillation is very interesting work, and is. something as follows There is an aperture at tho top of the still through which the feeder appears, ana 'the 'sneaves are handed down to him from a sort of stage, which is level with tlie top of the still. He ''packs them carefully in, pressing down the stalks rightly till the still is quite full. Then tiiey ate covered with cold water. Tho still head, which communicates with a coil of copper pipe, contained in a tank filled with cola water, is then bolted down, and heat applied. After a time the crude oil of lavender, a yellow liquid, /iHatils over with tho vapour of the water, and the two pass out together into a receiver. The oil being much lighter than the water rises to the top, and is skimmed off and filtered. Surely a simple process enough for such excellent results.' Lavender sachets and faggots are also Ciisily made. The flowers for the former are dried 011 canvas trays in warm cupboards, and-then ground and mixed with powdered gum benzoin, a small quantity of otto of lavender bein" added. The lavender faggots are cut when the flowers are fully expanded, the spikes being spread and dried slowly in a cool, shady place before the bundles are made up. The very name of lavender is associated with all' that is sweet; fresh, wholesome, anil clean, and it was beloved by women wftose equals as mothers and housewives will perhaps never be known again.