THE CULTURE OP LEONOTig LEONURUS. 207 



tlieui over from a quarter to half an inch deep, according to the size of 

 the seeds ; then smooth the surface by gently beating it with the back 

 of the spade (tliis must only be done if the soil is dry and rather ligiit). 

 They will then require no other care, except iveeping tliem from weeds 

 and the attacks of birds, mice, and slugs, which are very destructive to 

 them when they first make their appearance above ground. By placing 

 some small brandies thickly over the beds until the young plants have 

 thrown oti' the old seed-coat, tliey may be protected from the ravages 

 of birds ; if attacked by niice, traps must be set for catciiing them, as 

 the only safe mode of preventing such pests : and if subject to be eaten 

 by slugs, some wood-ashes should be sown over the beds, just as tlie 

 young plants are making their appearance. 



" The seeds of the greater part of the Pine tribe come up in about 

 six weeks after sowing in the open border, and the most of them will 

 be fit for transplanting into nursery rows the first year after sowing ; 

 afterwanls they may be treated in the same way as other forest trees." 



THE CULTURE OF LEONOTIS LEONURUS. 

 Bv A nobleman's flower gardener. 



This plant is one of the most beautiful and showy plants that can adorn 

 the greenhouse and conservatory from September to January, and it 

 only requires to be seen, when properly grown, to attract the attention 

 of all admirers of fine flowers. It can be had cheap where it is found 

 in a nursery establishment. 



By the following mode of treatment I have it bloom splendidly, and 

 its Lion's Tail fine orange-scarlet spikes of flowers produce an encliant- 

 ing ettect. 



At tlie beginning of March, plants of Leonotis struck from cuttings 

 last summer begin to grow ; they are then shifted into 32 pots, filled 

 with a good loamy soil, witli plenty of drainage, consisting of chopped 

 turf and well-rotted manure in lumps, about equal parts. Tlie plants 

 are placed in a liglit part of tlie greenhouse, wliei-e tiiey get plenty of 

 air, and have but little water for the first two or three weeks, after 

 wiiich they are set in pans, but do not stand constantly in water. By 

 the 1st of May tliey are shifted into the pots tiiey are intended to flower 

 in, No. 4's, about tlie mieldle of the month, when all danger from frost 

 is over. I plunge the pots up to tlie rim in a south border, and supply 

 them plentifully with water; and once in eight or ten days give them 

 some liqidd manure. They require nothing else but tying up and occa- 

 sionally turning the pots round to prevent tlie roots from running into 

 the border till tiie end of September, when they are removed into the 

 greenhouse, where they flower for eight or ten weeks ; after this they 

 are cut down aiifl put under the greenhouse stage, and kept nearly dry 

 till the following: {^rowins: season. 



