Some Minor Farm Crops. 81 



preferred and fresh dung is not desirable. In seasons when 

 the plants are scarce it may be difficult to purchase them, but 

 sufficient in ordinary seasons to plant an acre would probably 

 cost about 501. The cuttings should be of young growth, 

 taken in March, and they will strike root at any time between 

 March and October. They are usually planted 2 inches 

 apart. They should be prevented from flowering by clipping 

 with shears, and by autumn they will be ready to transplant 

 to the prepared bed. Open fine weather between November 

 and March must be chosen for this operation. The plants after 

 being trimmed should be dibbled in about 9 inches deep and 

 18 or 24: inches apart, in rows with a space of 18 inches 

 between the rows. They should be firmly planted in the 

 ground and during the winter care should be taken to press 

 firmly round the plants any soil that may have become loose 

 or lifted by frost. 



The transplanting costs about 50s. an acre. Hoeing, to 

 keep down the weeds, will then be the only attention the 

 plantation will require. 



In the autumn the plantation can be thinned out by 

 removing every other plant or row. The plants that are lifted 

 can be transferred to another bed, the area under cultivation 

 being thus extended. A few flowers will appear at the first 

 harvest after transplanting. The plantations are in their prime 

 in the second, third, and fourth years, and although they are 

 left sometimes for four years they are seldom profitable after 

 the fifth year that follows ti-ansplanting. A field of lavender 

 in full bloom is one unbroken sheet of blue, the eff:ect of 

 which upon the landscape is very beautiful. 



Harvesting. 



The flower buds begin to swell usually in the early part 

 of July, and if the flowers are required for decoration in their 

 dried state, and not for the essential oils, cutting commences 

 then. If grown for the essential oils the harvest commences 

 at the time when the blue tint of the flower fades, which is 

 usually at the beginning of August, though, of course, much 

 depends on the season. Harvest has been known to commence 

 as early as the middle of July, and as late as the beginning 

 of September. The spikes are cut with a sickle. They are 

 then gathered and packed in Russian mats and taken to the 

 distillery as soon as possible, as in order to get the best results 

 distillation should be effected without delay. 



The cost of harvesting, including cutting, packing, and 

 carting to the stills is about 50s. an acre. An acre of land 

 will produce from 20 to 60 mats, which will yield from 15 to 

 30 lb. of oil. 



