Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-09-25
THE tl7cHlN LAVENDER FIELDS.
A Visit TO tho Famous Meadows Where
Fortune Flowers Grow.

A visit TO tho Famous Meadows Who're
Perfume Flowers Grow.
The sun shines brightly and the sky Is q
tloudlesa blue as we leave the Hitchin sta.
ton and begin our walk 30 the lavender
Aelds 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
hem--a sight, once seen, never forgotteni
Under the bright sunlight they lie, field
after field, one blazing mass Of lavender
kissed into deepest violet. now gray M the
sun hides for O moment behind the cloud.
The scent, delicious from afar, is almost
overpowering, and for once in our lives we
think IL 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 It's har-
mony with the trees and fields. The men
arc busy cutting packing and caytinR and
soon we watch them and learn the why and
wherefore OF their work.
Lavender stalks are, as we all know, very
stiff and hard 10 break. To cut them, there
fore, the ynen have small sickleA In the
right hand these arc held, while with the
left the stalks are bent for the cutting, and
with a strong stroke Of the sickle severed
from the plant and thrown upon the
ground. Meanwhile other men anther the
cut lavender into huge bundles and put II
In sacks, which are carted away 10 the dis
tilleries and differcnt places, from which II
Issues as lavender water, lavendar SOAP and
al .laIla u l.. Il a
our towns and sold there in the streets ut
threepence and sixpence for quite small
punches. At Hitohin as much as ono can
carry may be bought for half a crown.
We hear 20 much OF old lavender bushes
In country gardens priced for their antiqui.
ty by their owners that learned with sur
prise that for market purposes plants arc
considered useless after the third year. The
first year sees them small and bearing lit |
tie II any flower, the second they arc In |
their prime and should be a mass Of bios
SONS. and the third year they begin to go |
of, and cuttings from them are taken for |
replantingl and the old plants taken up as |
useless. One lives learns
Lavender should thoroughly dried be-
fore II is put into bags such as our great
grandmothers loved TO stow among the |
linen And II the scent Is TO be preserved
for any length OF time IL should after dry
ing be put In box and left until the Aow-
ers shake OF crisp and dry, leaving the
stalks separate Then, II 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, nrc
most agreeable, l always keep mine to
burn 10 scent the rooms in winter time,
when there arc no flowers They burn
slowly, and II laid upon metal tray will
smolder on for a long time. A few stalks
make quite sufficient scent for nm ord-
nary room In siokrooms they arc a boon,
for the smell is much cleaner and more
natural than the pastlls and other things
which offend tho patients nose and only
clear the atmosphere for comparatively
abort time.-London Queen.