r m

CHAP. LXXXVI.

labia'ceac.

1281

1139

nerals;

Manyi beingThere'sevens’sto this3 Great

omatic;1 oil, atil of the

mewliatpirits of; oil of

3 anusedlleritlose

as is indicated by the name, which is compounded of two Latin words, ros,marinas, signifying sea-dew.

S tachys fruticulosa Bieb. is a low evergreen shrub, from Caucasus, whichseldom grows above 1 ft. in height; but which may be planted where it isdesired to include as many species as possible in the arboretum. S. steno-phylla Spr., from Spain , and S .palesthia L., from Syria , grow about the sameheight. S tachys lavandulcefolia is a native of the Levant, and produces its pur-ple flowers in May and August.

Lavandula Spiea L., N. Du Ham., 3. t. 42., and 1140 ^

our Jig. 1140., the common lavender, is a well-knownfragrant shrub, which, like the rosemary, has beenlong an inhabitant of British gardens. In deep, dry,calcareous soils, it will grow to the height of 3 ft., andform a compact hemispherical bush, flowering abun-dantly every year. The flowers are generally purple,but there is a variety with white flowers ; and L. lati-folia Ehrh., which is not uncommon in gardens, andwhich has lilac flowers, though treated by some as aspecies, is probably nothing more than another variety.

The common lavender is a native of the south ofEurope , the north of Africa , and the west of Asia , inwarm, rocky, and barren places. It is particularlyabundant in Provence ; where, as the rosemary, thethyme, and the heath do in other districts, it gives apeculiar flavour to the honey, which is known as the miel de Provence,and which, after that of Narbonne , a kind that, as already mentioned, takesthe flavour of rosemary, is considered the best in France . The lavenderwas held in high estimation by the Greeks and Romans, for its fragranceand aromatic properties; and it has been esteemed, on the same account,in Britain , and cultivated in gardens for its medicinal virtues from timeimmemorial. Medicinally, in the form of tincture, spirit, or essential oil,it is considered a powerful stimulant to the nervous system, and is, conse-quently, generally had recourse to in headachs and hysterical affections.The odour resides entirely in the essential oil, which is contained in everypart of the plant, but principally in its spikes of flowers and flower-stalks,from which the oil is obtained by distillation. This oil, rectified, and againdistilled, and mixed with spirits of wine, forms the well-known lavenderwater of the perfumers. The flowers, on account of their powerful aromaticodour,are frequently put into wardrobes among clothes,as an antidote to moths,particularly in the case of woollen stuffs. A few drops of the oil will servethe same purpose. So powerful are the effects of this oil, that, if a single dropof it be put in a box along with a living insect, the latter almost instantly dies.The lavender is cultivated in various parts of France ; and it is so muchhardier than the rosemary, that it is grown in quantities for perfumers, evenin the neighbourhood of Paris . The driest soil, in the warmest situation,produces most oil; and, as the odour of this plant and the rosemary, as,indeed, of all the Labiacese, depends on the disengagement of their oil, ofcourse it is most felt in hot days and during sunshine. The lavender has beenlong cultivated in the neighbourhood of London , and in other parts ofEngland. Park Place, near Henley on Thames , is celebrated for its lavenderplantations, which occupy between 40 and 50 acres. “ The plants are raisedfrom cuttings, which are slipped off and prepared by women in the autumn, andbedded in, in rows, in any spare piece of garden ground, where they remainfor two years. The ground into which they are to be transplanted, beingprepared by shallow trenchings or double ploughing, the plants are placed inrows 4 ft. apart, and at 2 ft. distance in the rows. For three or four years, arow of turnips or potatoes is grown between the rows of lavender; after whichperiod, or about, the time that the lavender plants in the rows touch eachother, half of them are removed, leaving the field covered with plants 4 ft.

4 p 2