228 



Greenhoicse and Stove Plants. 



end of July the floweis will commence to 

 open, after wliicli keep cool and shaded 

 from the sun. When the blooming is over 

 give plenty of air, and less water to the 

 roots, and allow them to go to rest in the 

 autumn. Winter as before, and in the 

 spring again repeat the cutting back, and 

 repotting, treating afterwards as recom- 

 mended for the preceding season. So 

 managed the plants will last for several 

 years. There are two forms of this Lager- 

 stroemia, one bearing flesh-coloured flowers, 

 the other rose-coloured; both are well worth 

 gi'owing. 



Insects. — Red spider will live on these 

 plants, but the use of the syringe advised 

 will usually be found sutiicient to keep this 

 insect down. For aphides fumigate. 



LALAGE. 



These are pretty Leguminous plants, 

 natives of New Holland, but not now 

 much grown. They require similar treat- 

 ment to the Hoveas, which see. 



There are only two or three species in 

 cultivation. 



L. ornata. Has yellow flowers, and 

 blooms in spring. 



L. tenuifolia. Also a spring bloomer. 



LAMBERTIA. 



These are evergreen greenhouse shrubs, 

 of moderate size, from New Holland. The 

 flowers are pretty, but not very effective. 

 They succeed with treatment such as re- 

 quired by Boronias, which see. 



The two following kinds are the best 

 representatives of the genus : — 



L. formosa. Flowers red, produced in 

 summer. 



L. uniflora. White. Also a summer 

 bloomer. 



LANTANA. 



These are quick growing evergreen 

 greenhouse shrubs, bearing pretty globular 

 heads of flowers, produced freely over a 

 long period in siimmer and autumn. 

 They are easily grown, and at one time 

 were much more generally in fashion than 

 at present. The present race of varieties 

 have been raised from seeds of the original 

 kinds, indigenous to South America and 

 adjacent parts. 



They strike easily from cuttings made of 

 the young soft shoots, taken off early in 

 spring and put an inch apart in 5 or 6 

 inch pots in sand ; kept close, moist, and 

 shaded in a temperature of 60" they will 

 root in a fortnight, after which expose 



them to the air of the house, and move 

 singly into 3-inch pots in turfy loam, to 

 which add some leaf-mould and sand. 

 Keep in a similar temperature during the 

 night to that in which they were struck, 

 letting it lise by day, with some air given 

 and a little shade when the sun is bright. 

 Pinch out the points of the shoots as soon 

 as top growth has fairly commenced ; 

 Lan tanas are very quick growers and will 

 again require stopping, and in a few weeks 

 moving into 8 or 9 inch pots ; give them 

 rich soil of a similar description to that 

 used at the first potting. Now syringe freely 

 overhead every evening, and again stop the 

 points of the shoots ; give more air as the 

 season advances, and put a stick to sup- 

 port the principal shoot of each j)lant. 

 They will flower through the summer and 

 autumn, during which time they will be 

 benefited by the application of manure- 

 water two or three times a week. Grow- 

 ing so quickly as Lantanas do they need a 

 good deal of moisture to the roots, and 

 must not be allowed to go short, or their 

 blooming will be interfered with. 



In the autumn keep the soil drier, and 

 winter out of the reach of frost. In the 

 spring, if large plants are required, they 

 may be freely cut back and moved into 

 larger pots, partially removing the old 

 soil and replacing it with new ; or if 

 smaller examples are deemed preferable 

 discard the old plants, only keeping enough 

 to furnish cuttings. 



The following are a good selection of 

 sorts : — 



L. Don Calmet. Yellow and pink. 



L. Distinction. Orange scarlet. 



L. Herione. Crimson and dark brown. 



L. Favourita. Yellow and reddish 

 brown. 



L. Innocence. Sulphur and white. 



L. La Neige. White. 



L. Le Styx. Red, shaded with crimson. 



L. Magenta King. Reddish purple. 



L. Mens. Roucicr Chauviere. Yellow and 

 red. 



L. Rayon de Soliel. Yellow and violet. 



Insects. — The regular use of the syringe 

 is usually sufficient to keep down red spider. 

 For aphides fumigate. 



LAPAGERIA. 



Few plants, certainly no greenhouse 

 climbers, possess so many desirable pro- 

 perties as do the white and red forms of 

 Lapageria. When the red variety was 

 first seen, flowered in a manner that only 

 gave an imperfect idea of what it has since 

 proved to be, all who saw it pronounced it 

 one of the very finest plants ever intro- 



