LAVENDER. 363 
spread near the surface it is dangerous to hoe deeply. The weeds, 
as a rule, can be got out with a hoe only 1 inch deep in the blade; 
the blade should be 9 or 10 inches long, in order to reach under 
the branches without dragging them. 
The presence of the blue corn-flower and the poppy indicate a 
dry soil suitable to lavender; these and such weeds as groundsel, 
thistles, and chickweed, which seed in abundance, should be 
eradicated whilst quite young, otherwise the work will be endless 
and the plants choked. 
The ground-ivy is a fearfal enemy, the disagreeable odour of its 
foliage being so strong that a few pieces of the weed accidentally 
put into the still would spoil the entire charge of flower. Weeds 
cut down and buried before they seed mostly decay ; but couch- 
grass, the creeping-thistle, and some others are not destroyed in 
that way, and the only plan is to burn them. 
The seeds of some weeds (such as charlock) will retain vitality 
for centuries, and germinate on the first convenient opportunity. 
Some weeds, such as dock and dandelion, seem to be strengthened 
by having their tops chopped off, and shoot out again with in- 
creased vigour. 
When lands are ploughed up once a year these difficulties with 
weeds are not so great, but lavender is expected to last 4 or 5 
years at least, so the land cannot be ploughed over. 
For the convenience of gathering in the harvest and removing 
weeds, it is well to make paths, about 4 feet wide, intersecting the 
rows, about 50 yards apart, and leading up to the stillery. Thus 
if rows are planted north and south, the paths should run east and 
west and lead to a main path. 
The young plants should be prevented as far as possible from 
flowering the first year, by clipping them with shears (sheep- 
shears) ; this throws the strength into the lateral shoots, and 
makes the plants bushy and compact. 
Some growers clear out all the plants after five years, and sub- 
stitute a crop of potatoes or other vegetables. Such crops are not 
so remunerative, and the elements drawn from the soil can be 
replaced without changing the crop. If, for instance, a beginner 
start a plantation of five acres, he may find it difficult to procure 
more than enough plants for one acre at first; he then, by propa- 
gation, gradually fills up the other four acres, and each acre will 
contain plants of a different age; there will then be four acres in 
