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Toilet Preparations: Rose

Rose Water......

Orange-flower Water. 4 oz. q. s. pt. 4 oz. 6 oz. q. s.

Cascarilla Bark. 8 dr. oz.

Burnt Sugar.... 1 part 1 oz. 1 oz. oz.

Orange Powder. 4 oz.

Powder of Rose..... 4 oz.

Yellow Sanderswood. 2 dr.

Vanilla Bean 7 oz. fully extracted both the odor and the color of the flowers. Or the essential oil of roses or of any flower which has an agreeable fragrance may be extracted as follows: procure a quantity of the petals of any flower or flowers desired, a roll of absorbent cotton in thin layers, a wide-mouthed glass bottle or earthen vessel, and a small quantity of high-grade olive oil. Put a layer of petals in the empty bottle, sprinkle over them a small quantity of fine salt, and cover with a layer of absorbent cotton dipped in olive oil. So continue until the bottle is filled. Close it tightly with a glass stopper, a piece of bladder, parchment, or rubber cloth, and expose to the sun. In from ten to twenty days squeeze out the oil, which will be found nearly equal to the commercial article.

Or arrange the flowers in the same manner in an earthen jar and simmer with gentle heat by means of a double boiler, changing the flowers occasionally until the odor is satisfactory. Rectified spirits may be added, and the whole squeezed and strained for use.

Rose Jar. - Many artistic vases with suitable lids can be purchased for this purpose, and these make very acceptable holiday gifts; or an earthenware or glass vessel, such as a fruit jar which can be tightly closed, may be employed.

Gather fresh roses on a clear day when the petals are dry. Place these petals in the rose jar in layers, covering each with a thin layer of common salt. Then add two or three handfuls each of lavender flowers, rosemary leaves, and sweet marjoram. Other flowers may be added if desired, or a jar may be filled entirely with rose petals. Add 4 ounces of pulverized bay salt and 1 ounce each of various spices, as cloves, cinnamon, grated nutmeg, and the like, also orris root, storax, or indeed any other perfumes that may be preferred. The jar is to be kept closely covered, except when perfume is desired. Then the lid may be removed and the contents slightly moistened.

Potpourri. This is a mixture of dried flowers and spices not ground.

To make it, take dried lavender flowers, 1 pound; dried rose leaves, 1 pound; crushed orris root, pound; crushed cloves, 2 ounces; crushed cinnamon, 2 ounces; crushed allspice, 2 ounces; table salt, 1 pound.

To Prepare Tinctures. -A tincture of flowers having strong perfume, as the tuberose, jasmine, violet, jonquil, and heliotrope, may be prepared by crowding the fresh blossoms into a fruit jar and covering them with alcohol. After they have stood for a few days, the mixture may be strained through a linen cloth, the flowers squeezed to extract as much of the essence as possible, and fresh flowers added.

Or glycerin may be scented for the toilet and bath with any desired odor by the same method.

Or put half-inch layers of any flowers in an earthen pot or glass jar with layers of fine salt between.

Screw the top on tightly and place the jar in a cellar or other dark, cool place. This process requires from one to two months. At the end of this time strain and squeeze the liquor through a cloth, put it into a glass bottle, and let it stand in the sun to clarify.

Or place dry rose or other petals in a large bottle or fruit jar, cover with alcohol or other rectified spirits, close tightly, and preserve for use. A few drops of this tincture sprinkled about a room will give it a delicious perfume.

Geranium Perfume. - A perfume which is very agreeable to many may be made by either of the above methods from the leaves of any of the sweet-smelling geraniums. The tincture, obtained by packing the leaves in a fruit jar, filling it with alcohol and allowing it to stand for a few weeks, is perhaps the easiest to prepare. The leaves may be renewed, if desired, to strengthen the perfume.

To Distill Essences. -A common glass retort, such as is used by chemists, may be used for distilling perfumes. This consists of a round glass vessel with a wide mouth that can be closed by a cork or glass stopper. A glass tube passes through this cork to a receiver placed upon the table.

This tube should be long enough to allow the steam forming in the retort to condense before escaping. To facilitate condensation, a cloth kept wet with cold water may be wrapped about the tube. A small alcohol lamp is kept burning under the retort, care being taken to keep the lamp at just the right distance, so that the liquor will not run over but pass over gently, drop by drop. Perfumes are essentially volatile, and by this process they pass off with the steam condensed in the tube, and thus become thoroughly amalgamated with the distilled liquor. Special appliances called stills can be purchased for the manufacture of perfumes, but this method is entirely practical for home The bath in which perfumes are distilled should be slightly acidulated with sulphuric acid. use.