Bloom of Roses

Prep. 1. Dried red rose leaves, 1 1 ⁄ 2 oz. ; boiling water, 1 pint ; infuse in gla or earthenware for 2 hours, pre out the liquor, and add the juice of 3 large lemons; the next day filter, or decant the clear portion. Both the above should be kept in a cool place, otherwise they soon spoil. A little spirit of wine (3 or 4 fl. oz. to the pint) is sometimes added to them to remove this objection. They are greatly inferior to the following:— 2. Carmine, 1 ⁄ 4 oz. ; strong liquor of ammonia (not weaker than ·900), 1 oz. ; put them into a stoppered bottle, set it in a cool place, and occasionally agitate it for two or three days, to effect a solution; then add of rose-water, 1 pint; and, after admixture, further add of esprit de rose, 1 ⁄ 2 fl. oz. ; pure rectified spirit, 1 fl. oz. ; again well agitate, and set the whole aside for a week; lastly, decant the clear portion from the dregs (if any), for use or sale. Very fine. A cheaper article is made by omitting a portion of the carmine, and the whole of the esprit and spirit; and a still inferior one by substituting 1 1 ⁄ 2 oz. of silver-grain cochineal (in powder) for the carmine, with digestion for a week in the ammonia previously diluted with one half of the water.