The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants

SYRINGA.--The flowers of the Philadelphus coronarius, or common garden syringa, have an intense odor resembling the orange-blossom; so much so, that in America the plant is often termed "mock orange." A great deal of the pomatum sold as pommade surfin, à la fleur d'orange, by the manufacturers of Cannes, is nothing more than fine suet perfumed with syringa blossoms by the maceration process. Fine syringa pomade could be made in England at a quarter the cost of what is paid for the so-called orange pomatum. THYME.--All the different species of thyme, but more particularly the lemon thyme, the Thymus serpyllum, as well as the marjorams, origanum, &c., yield by distillation fragrant ottos, that are extensively used by manufacturing perfumers for scenting soaps; though well adapted for this purpose, they do not answer at all in any other combinations. Both in grease and in spirit all these ottos impart an herby smell (very naturally) rather than a flowery one, and, as a consequence, they are not considered recherché. When any of these herbs are dried and ground, they usefully enter into the composition of sachet powders. TONQUIN, or TONKA.--The seeds of the Dipterix odorata are the tonquin or coumarouma beans of commerce. When fresh they are exceedingly fragrant, having an intense odor of newly made hay. The Anthoxanthum odoratum, or sweet-smelling vernal grass, to which new hay owes its odor, probably yields identically the same fragrant principle, and it is remarkable that both tonquin beans and vernal grass, while actually growing, are nearly scentless, but become rapidly aromatic when severed from the parent stock.