10 Aug., 1918.] The Culture of True Lavender. 48l9 



THE CULTURE OF THE TRUE LAVENDER. 



By Ed. Zaccharewicz, Director of the Agricultural Service of the 

 Department of Vauclv^e, France. 



(Translated by Francois de Castella, Government Viticulturist, and W. Percy 

 Wilkinson, F.I.C., Commonwealth Analyst.) 



[In the Revue de Viticulture, Paris, 4th April, 1918, the results of 

 a detailed study on methods of cultivation for true lavender were com- 

 municated by Monsieur Ed. Zaccharewicz. As much attention is at 

 present being devoted, inter alia, to the project for extensive cultiva- 

 tion of lavender, by the Victorian Scent and Essential Oils Associa- 

 tion, it is hoped that a translation of the recent French studies on this 

 subject may be opportune.] 



The present description of lavender culture is intended to meet the 

 wishes of numerous agriculturists, who desire to take advantage of 

 post-war conditions in order to render productive land where no other 

 culture can be successfully undertaken. The true lavender* enables 

 uncultivated, hilly, or mountainous land to be profitably utilized, since 

 this plant is not exacting as regards depth or fertility of soil. 



The class of soil which suits the lavender best is a light and sandy 

 clay, stony, well exposed to the sun, at an elevation of 1,200 to 4,000 

 feet. It is noticeable that at a lower altitude true lavender yields an 

 essential oil poor in ester; it would also have a tendency to degenerate 

 in the direction of spike lavender, whereas, on the contrary, the 

 higher the altitude the richer (in ester) is the essential oil yielded 

 by the true lavender, which reaches its maximum value at 3,000 feet. 



Experiments with artificial manures, which will be described sub- 

 sequently, enable us to afiirm that, even at lower elevations, soils, 

 which by their nature are suitable for this culture,- can be rendered 

 fertile and profitable if judiciously manured. Artificial fertilizers have 

 an action on the quality of the oil and on the growth of the plant, con- 

 ditions which are necessary to prevent degeneration. 



True lavender (Lavendula vera) must not be confounded with spike 

 {Lavendula aspica). True lavender is a small woody plant which bears 

 numerous upright herbaceous branches, with undivided sessile pointed 

 leaves, covered with a whitish down when young. The flowers are 

 arranged in glomerules, grouped in a sort of compound head. 



The essential oil of true lavender is slightly yellow in colour, has a 

 sweet aromatic odour, is rich in ester, and possesses an acrid flavour. 



Spike lavender differs from true lavender by its larger leaves, broader 

 bracts, more numerous branches, more powerful but less agreeable odour. 

 The essential oil it yields is known commercially as oil of spike. 



In the course of inspections made in the Department of Vaucluse, 

 we have been able to collect interesting notes concerning the culture 

 of true lavender. One of the estates where this plant is carefully cul- 

 tivated is situated in the Commune of Lagarde; it is under the manage- 

 ment of Monsieur Clement, is of 150 acres in extent, and is situated 

 at an elevation of 2,500 feet ; it is surrounded by the mountainous spurs 

 of Mount Ventoux; it is on these mountains that true lavender grows 

 wild, and it is here that it yields a highly esteemed essential oil. 



• Lavendula vera as distinguished from otner species. 



