Scientific American Supplement, No. 643, April 28, 1888Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 643, April 28, 1888
Various
Science -- Periodicals
The stronger, though less delicate, cassie is grown from seeds, which
are contained in pods which betray the connection of this plant with
the leguminous family. After being steeped in water they are sown in a
warm and well sheltered spot. When two feet high the young plant is
grafted and transplanted to the open ground--ground well exposed to
the sun and sheltered from the cold winds. It flourishes best in the
neighborhood of Grasse and Cannes. The season of flowering is from
October to January or February, according to the presence or absence
of frost. The flowers are gathered twice a week in the daytime, and
are brought to the factories in the evening. They are here subjected
to maceration.
JONQUIL.
A plant of humbler growth is the jonquil. The bulbs of this are set
out in rows. The flowers put in an appearance about the end of March,
four or five on each stem. Each flower as it blooms is picked off at
the calyx. They are treated by maceration and enfleurage, chiefly the
latter. The harvesting period of the jonquil is of very short
duration, and it often takes two seasons for the perfumer to finish
off his pomades of extra strength. The crop is also very uncertain.
JASMIN.
A more reliable crop is that of the jasmin. This plant is reared from
cuttings of the wild jasmin, which are put in the earth in rows with
trenches between. Level ground is chosen; if hillside only is
available, this is formed into a series of terraces. When strong
enough, the young stem is grafted with shoots of the _Jasminum
grandiflorum_. The first year it is allowed to run wild, the second it
is trained by means of rods, canes and other appliances. At the
approach of winter the plants are banked up with earth to half their
height. The exposed parts then die off. When the last frost of winter
is gone the earth is removed, and what remains of the shrub is trimmed
and tidied up for the coming season. It grows to four or five feet.
Support is given by means of horizontal and upright poles, which join
the plants of one row into a hedge-like structure. Water is provided
by means of the ditches already mentioned. When not used for this
purpose, the trenches allow of the passage of women and children to
gather the flowers. These begin to appear in sufficient quantity to
repay collecting about the middle of July. The jasmin is collected as
soon as possible after it blooms. This occurs in the evening, and up
to about August 15, early enough for the blossoms to be gathered the
same day. They are delivered at the factories at once, where they are
put on to the chassis immediately; the work on them continuing very
often till long after midnight. Later on in the year they are gathered
in the early morning directly the dew is off. The farmer is up
betimes, and as soon as he sees the blossoms are dry he sounds a bugle
(made from a sea shell) to announce the fact to those engaged to pick
for him.
TUBEROSE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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