The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-29
r TIE HrroHN LAVENDER FIELDS.
A Visit TO tho Famous Meadows Where
Perfume Flowers Grow

Perfume Flowers Grow.
The sun shines brightly and the sky is a.
cloudless blue as we leave the Hitchin sta
ton and begin our walk to the lavender
fields for which this country town Is fa-
nous. Long before we reach them we scent
the exquisite perfume of the flowers, heavy
upon the still hot air. And what picture
when at last we reach the fields and turn
ing of the sandy road come suddenly upon
them-a sight, once seen, never forgottenl
Under the bright sunlight they lie, field
after field, one blazing mass of lavender
kissed into deepest violet, now gray as the
sun hides for moment behind the cloud.
The scent, delicious from afar, is almost
overpowering, and for once in our lives we
think 1t almost disagreeable. While we
stand looking the color deepens. and sof-
tened by the sky and sun the trees look
their brightest green in contrast to the
mass of purple. The sandy road stretching
away in the distance is perfect in its har-
mony with the trees and fields. The men
are busy cutting, packing and carting, and
soon we watch them and learn the why and
wherefore OF their work.
Lavender stalks are, as we all know, very
still and hard to break. To cut them, there
fore, the men have small sickles. In the
right hand these are held, while with the
left the stalks are bent for the cutting, and
with strong stroke of the sickle severed
from the plant and thrown upon the
ground. Meanwhile other men gather the
cut lavender into huge bundles and put it
In sacks, which are carted away to the dis
tilleries and different places, from which it
issues as lavender water, lave olar soap and
many other delicacies. 1t is also sent into
our towns and sold there In the streets ut
threepence and sixpence for quite small
punches. At Hitchin as much as one can
carry may be bought for half crown.
We hear so much of old lavender bushes
In country gardens priced for their anti9ui-
|ty by their owners that | learned with sur
prise that for market purposes plants are
considered useless after the third year. The
first year sees them small and bearing lit
tie If any flower, the second they are in
their prime and should be mass of bios
SONS, and the third year they begin to 20
off, and cuttings from them are taken for
replanting and the old plants taken up as
useless, One lives and learnsi
Lavender should be thoroughly dried be-
fore it is put into bags such as our great
grandmothers loved to stow among the
linen. And If the scent is to be preserved
for any length of time it should after dry
ing be put in box and left until the flow
ers shake or crisp and dry, leaving the
stalks separate. Then, if put in bags or
made into the many delicate little fancy
articles, it will keep its sweetness for many
a long day.
Lavender stalks, when properly dried, are
most agreeable. always keep mine to
burn to scent the rooms in winter time,
when there are no flowers. They burn
slowly, and if laid upon a metal tray will
smolder on for long time. A few stalks
make quite sufficient scent for an ordi-
nary room. In sickrooms they are boon,
for the smell is much cleaner and more
natural than the pastis and other things
which offend the patients nose and only
clear the atmosphere for u comparatively
short time.-London Queen.