1 36 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 29, 190§ 
Here, at all events, the Lavender is never destroyed by 
frost, although the young shoots are liable to be injured by 
last spring frosts just as are those of the Oak native to th 
country. If the frost is very serious the value of the Lavender 
crop is impaired to that extent, but notwithstanding the 
severe frosts in April last the fields, at a short distance at 
least, appear to be as fine as ever, or did so, because the harvest 
of Lavender lias now been reaped. The stems are cut. with a 
hook when in full bloom. 
The industry gives employment for a large number of people 
in the neighbourhood, and at present the business seems to be 
strengthening rather than otherwise. It is just, possible that 
these fields will presently be planted over with dwelling-houses, 
as the builder has been unusually busy all along the lines and 
main roads in, that district for years past. The area of the 
chalk formations in Surrey is fairly extensive, however, and so 
long as Lavender -water is in demand we expect the industry 
will thrive. There is plenty of other land on the chalk more 
distant from the big towns which are springing up all along 
the valley in direct continuation with London itself. 
After a period of four years the Lavender bushes are grubbed 
up, and the land deeply ploughed and cleaned. As far as 
Lavender is concerned, it is then allowed to rest for some time, 
as the land is described as getting* sick of Lavender crop. It 
must be remembered, however, that the severe cutting of the 
crop and the removing of it from the ground leaves the soil 
poorer to that extent. The bushes themselves must suffer to 
a, considerable extent, owing to the severe cutting to which 
they are subjected. The little bushes are cut down near the 
ground, leaving a short stump, something like a Willow stool, 
and this would be just when the plant is in full leaf and 
bloom. Even the Willow itself is not subjected to. such 
severe pruning, seeing that the operation in that case isi per¬ 
formed in winter’ or spring, when the- plant is-, leafless. 
The process of manufacture is as simple as that of cultiva¬ 
tion. The same old customs are maintained which prevailed 
when the ancestors of the present firm carried on the- industry. 
There is no noisy steam factory, but simply a barn, with a 
large loft in the top, in which four large coppers are situated. 
These coppers are filled with water, and the Lavender piled 
into them to the extent of about a. ton, in each. Heat is then 
brought to bear upon, this water by means of a furnace on 
the ground floor of the building. The steam from the heated 
water passes through a large metal pipe about a foot in 
diameter, and this passing through a, cistern of cold water, the 
steam containing the oil of Lavender in it is condensed, and 
runs off into cans placed there to receive it. The oil being 
lighter than water floats on the top, as in the case of all 
other essential oils. A tap- at the bottom of the receivers 
allows the water’' pure and simple to run off. The oil is then 
skimmed off the surface and put into Winchester quarts. 
One ton of Lavender will produce eight or nine pounds of 
oil, sometimes more, according to the nature of the season. 
The pure oil is put into cut-glass bottles of various sizes ready 
to bei sent off to- various parts of the world, for all the whole¬ 
sale business in this: article is- done by Miss Sprules. Besides 
those countries we have already mentioned as receiving 
Lavender water, we may state that large quantities go to 
South Africa, where it is used medicinally in the case of enteric 
fever. Unlike many other large manufacturers, Miss Sprules 
makes provision for the supply of customers on a small scale 
at home, forming practically a retail a,s well as a wholesale 
business. 
Flowers of Lavender are also put, into bags to be placed 
amongst, linen, etc., and some of these bags, are beautiful 
works of art, the handiwork of ladies. There is also- such a 
thing as Lavender soap. The whole twig of Lavender is also 
dried, tied in bundles, and disposed of to vendors, who sell 
it from their shops or even in the streets of London. It is 
also said to be an antidote to mosquitos, as several other 
essential oils are. Besides Lavender’, various other scent-pro¬ 
ducing herbs are distilled at Wallington, including those above 
mentioned, but Lavender is essentially the most popular of 
all of them, considering its wide use as a perfume, febrifuge 
and insectifuge. 
It is interesting to know that a home industrv is still 
carried on in the same old-time spirit. When agriculture is 
so- sorely distressed it would be well to try whether similar 
industries could not be instituted on some of the lands which 
at the present day are so poorly cultivated. Immense quanti¬ 
ties of various plants are grown in the south of France for the 
production of perfume, and surely it is possible for some.of 
these t,o- obtain a footing in this, country, provided the climate 
is suitable for the plants-, and certainly the land is as good 
as that in France. 
Allium albopilosum. 
(See Supplement.) 
Some time ago we gave an illustration of a very pretty 
species of Allium, with bright sky-blue flowers. On thisi occa¬ 
sion we reproduce the photograph of Allium albopilosum, which 
flowered at Kew during May and June last. It is a new 
species, and one of the most remarkable members of the Onion 
family we have seen, on account of the immense size of its 
flower heads or globular umbels, which measure 6 in. to 8 in. 
in diameter, and cany sixty to eighty flowers: each. 
Each flower measures 1^ in. to 2 in. across, and is seated on 
a stalk 2 in. or 3 in. long, which allows the flowers to be regu¬ 
larly disposed on all sides, forming a perfect globe. The seg¬ 
ments of the flower are lanceolate-linear, acute, and spread out 
horizontally. The weakest part of the flowers is their colour, 
which may be described as! a silky or glossy purple above and 
deep purple on the back, with green keel. The stamens are 
also- dark purple-, the filaments being subulate, while the 
ovary in the centre is green. Had the flowers been blue or of 
some bright colour, the species would have at once formed 
a desideratum for all gardens, notwithstanding the decided 
garlic scent which permeates all parts of the plant as it does 
in others. As a. mere garden ornament, however, it certainly 
has its uses, and it, would be a most interesting addition to 
any collection of strange and quaint forms for the herbaceous 
border. 
Tire strap-shaped leaves aret somewhat grooved above, glau¬ 
cous, 18 in. long, and 1 in. to 2 in. wide. The under surface 
and the edge are thinly covered with white hairs, which fact 
supplies- the botanist, with the specific name of the plant. 
This strange and striking Allium comes from the mountain 
range which lies between Transcaspia and Persia,, where it was 
collected by Sintenis in 1901. It- found its way to- Kew last 
year, and the bulbs- produced fo-ur leafless stems, as may be 
seen by reference to our illustration. These stems were 2 ft. 
high, and that fact, together with the width o-f the umbels, as 
mentioned above, will give an idea of the relative size of this 
new claimant for our attention. 
It may be described as a, bold and handsome species by com¬ 
parison with the Onion tribe generally. A very large number 
of Alliums have been described, but of tlie-se some of them are 
used as food in the form of Onions, others- again as Leeks and 
Shallots,, while we have- Chives, Garlic, Ramsons, and others of 
that nature, variously used in domestic cookery. With the ex¬ 
ception of Ramsons., very few of these have flowers that might 
be described as ornamental. 
There are several, however, out of the vast number intro¬ 
duced to cultivation at one. time or other that are decidedly 
ornamental. The species under notice would certainly take 
front rank as an ornamental Allium purely for the sake of its 
flowers. Others are A. kansue-nse, A. cae-ruleum, A. Moly, A. 
cyane-um, etc. It may be as well to remind our readers that 
the white-flowered A. ne-apolitanum is one of the most popular 
of white flowers- that are forced in early spring, and sold in 
the florists’ shops. 
