September  24,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
309 
^stills,  Rnd  here,  too,  are  the  homes  of  most  of  those  identified  with  the 
caltare.  At  every  turn  fields  clothed  in  the  parple-stemmed  black 
Mint,  or  lined  with  rows  of  the  brighter-hued  Lavender,  meet  the  gaze  of 
the  wayfarer  ;  and  gladdened  is  he  whose  fortune  leads  him  hereabout 
at  the  brief  period  when  the  blue-tinted  blossom  of  the  Mint,  or  the 
brave  spikes  of  the  Lavender,  lend  the  charm  of  their  bright  colours  to 
the  dominant  green  of  the  landscape. 
Skill  in  cultivation  brings  its  profit  at  the  harvest ;  but  the  great 
secret  of  Surrey’s  Lavender  and  Mint  lies  in  the  soil — a  light,  friable, 
chalky  soil,  not  often  found  in  a  climate  congenial  to  both  plants,  yet 
essential  to  a  perfect  result.  Bach,  in  fact,  may  be  grown  with  a  certain 
measure  of  prosperity  on  hill,  in  marsh-land,  or  meadow,  for  both  are 
hardy,  and  when  well  rooted  fight  against  drought  and  frost  with  the 
ardour,  if  not  always  the  success,  of  our  Timothy  Grass.  The  Lavender 
bush  is  propagated  by  a  cutting.  When  the  young  plant  is  firmly 
rooted,  it  is  bedded  out  for  a  year,  Wng  clipped  at  intervals  to  strengthen 
the  growth.  It  is  then  planted  in  a  sunny  position,  though  not  allowed 
to  flower  for  some  time ;  but  eventually  is  adjudged  to  be  fit  for  bearing, 
and  enters  into  the  stage  of  fruitfulness,  which  is  probably  greatest  when 
the  plant  is  four  years  old. 
Of  the  two  kinds  of  Mint,  the  black  with  purple  stems,  and  the  white 
with  green  stems,  only  the  former  now  appeals  to  the  husbandman, 
on  account  of  its  more  prolific  nature  ;  yet  not  without  a  sigh  does  he 
pass  the  claims  of  the  white  variety,  whose  oil  possesses  far  greater 
delicacy  than  its  favoured  relative  can  boast.  A  little  later  than  the 
Lavender  in  reaching  its  full  glory,  the  Mint  is  laid  down  by  the  sickle  ; 
afterwards  collected  stem  and  leaf,  and  bundled  up  roughly  in  large 
squares  of  matting  ;  and  as  soon  as  may  be,  conveyed  to  the  distillery. 
Tne  difficulty  of  getting  his  growths  through  the  still  often  impairs  the 
grower’s  peace  of  mind.  He  cannot,  without  loss,  allow  his  crops  to  stand 
uncut  when  ripe ;  nor  should  it,  when  cut,  remain  long  before  being 
subjected  to  distillation,  He  himself  owns  no  still :  that  would  be  too 
costly  an  adjunct  to  his  responsibilities  ;  so  perforce,  like  many  others, 
he  arranges  for  the  use  of  one,  and  waits  with  grim  fortitude  until 
opportunity  favours  his  patient  spirit. 
It  is  a  busy  scene  of  heated  furnaces,  enduring  labour,  and  strong 
scents  in  the  distillery  :  a  large,  square-looking,  tile-roofed  outbuilding, 
bearing  little  evidence  of  that  mystery  which  the  mind  associates  with 
the  work  of  the  still.  The  interior  one  finds  to  be  of  equally  simple 
construction,  having  been  converted  into  a  building  of  two  floors  by  the 
erection  of  a  platform  which  gives  to  the  upper  part  the  appearance  of 
a  roomy  loft.  On  the  ground  floor  several  “stoves,”  occupying  the 
length  of  one  entire  wall,  glow  with  furnace-like  intensity.  Mounting 
by  a  ladder,  the  spectator  finds  himself  immediately  beneath  the  tile 
gables  of  the  roof.  Below,  as  well  as  here,  packings  of  Mint  lie  about ; 
the  atmosphere  is  heavy  with  the  odour  of  the  running  oil.  Bat  what  call 
for  most  attention  are  the  stills  themselves,  without  seeing  which  a  visit 
into  Lavender-land  would  be  deprived  of  much  of  its  charm. 
The  process  is  simple  enough,  especially  when  it  is  understood.  The 
■chief  characteristic  of  the  still  is  the  massive  funnelled  cap  of  copper, 
large  of  circumference  at  the  base,  narrowing  up  for  some  4  or  5  feet, 
and,  finally,  bending  over  its  head  into  an  enormous  vat  of  cold  water 
which  stands  by  it.  The  cap  being  raised  from  the  floor,  the  Mint  is 
heaped  into  a  copper  receptacle  sunk  therein,  and  watered  down.  The 
cap  is  then  lowered,  carefully  adjusted  over  the  boiler,  so  that  there 
shall  be  no  escape  of  steam,  and  the  stoves  below  are  stoked  with  a 
generous  hand.  Some  vapour  begins  to  rise  into  the  cap,  and,  as  it 
reaches  the  head,  it  is  condensed  by  the  cold  water  by  which  it  is  now 
surrounded,  finding  its  way,  in  the  form  of  liquid,  through  coils  of 
copper  pipe  around  the  inside  wall  of  tbe  vat  into  a  receiver  erected  on 
the  ground  below.  The  law  by  which  oil  floats  on  the  top  of 
water  regulates  this  contrivance,  which  simultaneously  runs  off  the 
pure  oil  into  a  vessel,  and  the  waste  water  through  a  drainage  pipe  into 
an  artificial  channel  in  a  field  close  by,  where  it  gradually  sinks  into  the 
soil. 
And  when  the  produce  has  been  harvested  and  distilled  ?  The  Surrey 
man  who  does  not  despise  a  bedding  of  Wheat  chaff  for  his  own  coach, 
knows  too  well  the  economy  of  farm  life  to  waste  what  is  left  of  bis 
Mint  and  Lavender  crops  ;  the  stalks  of  the  Lavender  are  therefore 
applied  to  littering  purposes,  and  the  Mint  refuse  finds  its  ultimate  use 
as  manure.  The  oil  of  Lavender  is,  for  the  most  part,  bottled  in  a 
measure  of  some  4  to  5  pints,  known  as  a  “  Winchester  quart,”  and  will 
probably  attain  a  market  value  equal  to  £5  per  pint  j  while  the  oil  of 
Peppermint  will  command  a  possible  303. 
In  every  part  of  the  world  Mitcham  Lavender  finds  its  devotees  ;  as 
a  perfume  in  the  guise  of  Lavender  water,  as  a  headache  cure  when 
bottled  with  a  mixture  of  other  scents  and  ammonia  under  the  name  of 
Lavender  salts,  and  as  an  indispensable  medium  in  the  studio  of  the 
painter.  Peppermint  follows  mankind  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave 
Who  does  not  know  the  sweetened  water  of  the  Mint  as  a  remedy  for 
the  dyspeptic  English  baby,  dosed  on  the  knee  of  an  anxious  nurse  1 
Later  on,  it  appears  as  a  cunning  disguise  of  noxious  drugs,  yet  con¬ 
doning  its  offence  as  a  comforting  and  fragrant  cordial  through  the  dark 
months  of  the  year. 
Bat  stay,  there  is  something  else.  The  visitor  to  the  busy  village  of 
scented  Surrey,  as  he  leaves  a  quaint  cottage,  and  takes  his  way  through 
a  garden  path,  hears  a  cheerful  female  voice  behind  him.  He  turns 
and  listens  to  the  laughing  words,  “  Don’t  forget  that  Mint  is  good  for 
cholera  1”  Then  there  is  an  addition,  “  And  Lavender  for  the  brain  1” 
Indeed,  be  is  able  to  stake  his  faith  on  the  latter,  for  his  excursion  into 
Shrrey  has  sent  him  homeward  in  a  bright  and  happy  mood. — (“The 
4Jlobe.”) 
GROVE  HALL,  RETFORD. 
The  visitor  alighting  at  Retford  Station,  whose  position  does  not 
“compel”  him  to  keep  a  carriage,  who  does  not  “care”  to  hire  a  con¬ 
veyance,  has  a  very  pleasant  walk  of  about  three  miles  before  him  ere  he 
reaches  Grove  Hall.  The  route  is  pleasant,  and  no  doubt  the  pedestrian 
at  the  end  of  his  journey  expresses  satisfaction  at  having  walked  the 
distance,  although  if  the  day  is  hot  he  may  have  sighed  en  route  for 
vehicular  assistance.  Soon  after  leaving  the  clean  and  quiet  town  of 
Retford  you  turn  up  an  old  country  road,  grass-grown  on  each  side,  one 
of  those  old-fashioned  roads  that  despise  the  comparatively  modern 
improvements  of  sidepaths.  As  you  near  the  goodly  acres  that  make  up 
this  extensive  estate  tbe  road  is  bordered  with  trees  that  afford  a  most 
refreshing  shade  from  the  solar  rays,  that  embroider  the  path  with  a 
beautiful  fretwork  pattern  of  twigs  and  foliage  that  vary  and  change 
like  the  designs  of  a  kaleidoscope  as  the  breeze  gently  ruffles  their 
branches.  A  little  farther  and  the  timber  broadens  out  into  a  plantation, 
I  and  the  shade  becomes  more  deep  until  you  pass  through  a  plain  wooden 
gate  that  is  quite  in  harmony  with  the  rustic  surroundings,  and  you  are 
in  the  park, 
Soon  after  passing  through  the  boundary  there  are  two  fine  Welling- 
tonias,  one  on  each  side  of  the  roadway.  As  you  ascend  (it’s  all  uphill) 
the  park  expands  into  broad  acres  of  refreshing  pasture  land,  well 
timbered  with  fine  Oaks,  Beeches,  Chestnut,  and  other  forest  trees  in 
picturesque  irregularity,  amongst  which,  glowing  with  the  ruddy  tints 
of  the  haws  with  which  they  are  heavily  laden,  are  fine  old  Hawthorns 
with  their  gnarled  trunks.  Most  of  the  Hawthorns  bear  heavy  crops  of 
fruit.  This  abundance  of  wild  fruits  is  evident  all  round,  acorns. 
Chestnuts,  Beech  mast  being  very  plentiful  in  the  park. 
The  hedgerows  bristle  with  the  heps  of  the  wild  Rose,  the  haws  of 
the  Hawthorn,  the  purple  berries  of  the  Bramble,  and  the  Privet 
is  heavily  laden  with  large  clusters  of  berries  that  are  beginning  to 
turn  black.  Near  to  the  Hall  there  are  several  Walnut  trees  heavily 
laden  with  nuts  that  are  highly  attractive  to  tbe  squirrels,  which  are 
plentiful  here,  notwithstanding  the  abundance  of  wild  food,  which  they 
may  freely  partake  without  let  or  hindrance.  They  also  play  havoc 
with  the  Filberts  that  in  due  course  should  appear  on  the  dessert  table. 
As  yon  get  nearer  to  the  Hall  you  cannot  fail  to  notice  with  regret  the 
decaying  tops  of  the  old  Oaks  that  should  be  covered  with  verdure,  and 
you  wonder  why  they  show  signs  of  premature  decay  in  such  good  pure 
air,  far  removed  from  the  baneful  influence  of  a  smoke-laden  atmosphere. 
On  inquiry  as  to  the  cause  I  was  informed  that  the  cold  wet  seasons  we 
had  a  few  years  ago  are  responsible  for  it.  Several  fine  Beeches  also 
show  the  same  signs  of  decay. 
On  reaching  the  summit  of  the  hill  you  arrive  at  the  Hall,  a  goodly 
English  mansion,  the  residence  of  B.  E.  Harcourt  Vernon,  B3q,J.P.. 
It  has  a  westerly  aspect,  and  has  a  fine  view — o’er  a  beautiful  country — 
extending  for  about  twenty  miles,  looking  over  the  ducal  estates  of 
Clumber  and  Thoresby.  It  is  an  exceed ’’ngly  breezy  locality,  and 
when  old  Boreas  means  business  he  is  much  too  vigorous  to  be  pleasant. 
It  frequently  happens  that  when  the  spring  bedding  operations  are  being 
carried  out  the  operator  has  to  hold  the  plant  in  one  hand  until  he  has 
securely  fastened  it  in  the  ground  with  the  other,  or  it  would  be  blown 
away.  There  are  several  very  fine  Beeches  on  the  lawn  that  have  defied 
the  rough  winds,  add  greatly  to  its  bSauty.  The  visitor  will  now 
exchange  the  natural  landscape  gardening  of  the  park  for  the  cultivated 
portion  of  the  estate  devoted  to  the  growth  of  fruits,  vegetables,  and 
flowers,  and  each  of  these  sections  shows  evidence  of  great  care,  attention, 
and  cultural  skill. 
The  Oechabds 
occupy  about  2  acres  of  ground,  and  are  producing  abundance  of  fruit, 
principally  Apples  and  Plums,  Many  of  the  trees  are  heavily  laden 
with  fine  fruit,  the  principal  varieties  of  Apples  grown  being  Manks 
Codlin,  one  of  their  earliest  varieties,  which  was  ready  for  gathering  in 
July  ;  Domino,  Duchess  of  Oldenbui'g,  a  beautiful  and  attractive 
striped  variety,  suggestive  of  having  been  touched  up  with  the  artist’s 
pencil ;  New  Hawthornden,  Newton  Wonder,  an  excellent  addition  to 
the  Apple  crop,  sent  out  by  Messrs.  Pearson  of  Chilwell  ;  and  Nelson’s 
Glory,  very  fine.  These  are  followed  by  Blenheim  Orange,  a  very  good 
crop  ;  Bramley’s  Seedling,  which  is  represented  by  a  number  of  fine  young 
trees  ;  Tower  of  Glamis  and  Round  Winter  Nonesuch,  Red  Astrachan, 
with  fruits  of  a  very  deep  red  ;  and  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin,  one  of  the 
best  of  dessert  Apples  for  this  situation.  Amongst  the  dessert  varieties 
are  King  of  the  Pippins,  Fearn’s  Pippin,  and  Sturmer  Pippin.  Ttis  last 
variety  is  very  late  ;  I  was  informed  that  they  could  keep  it  in  good 
condition  until  June.  With  the  gathering  of  Manks  Codlin  in  July, 
and  the  keeping  of  Sturmer  Pippins  until  June,  Apples  are  much  “in 
evidence  ”  at  Grove  Hall. 
The  Plums  were  very  attractive  with  their  rope-like  clusters  of  red, 
purple,  and  golden  fruits,  Victoria,  Black  Diamond,  Prince  Engelbert, 
bearing  a  very  heavy  crop.  Pond’s  Seedling,  Cox’s  Emperor,  Bryanston’s 
Green  Gage,  and  Dennistone’s  Superb  being  very  conspicuous,  A  few 
Medlars  and  Quinces  are  grown  here,  although  they  are  not  a  common 
fruit  in  the  orchards  of  this  neighbourhood.  All  the  fruit  trees  are  in 
robust  health,  their  tranks  and  branches  being  remarkably  smooth  and 
clean. 
The  Kitchen  Garden 
occupies  about  the  same  space  as  the  orchards,  and  is  surrounded  by 
substantial  brick  walls  about  15  feet  high,  which  are  utilised  for  fruit 
culture.  On  the  south  wall  are  Peaches  and  Nectarines  bearing  splendid 
crops  of  beautiful  fruit.  A  portion  of  these  are  protected  by  move- 
