LADDERS. 



288 



LANTANA. 



cheaper in the long run. See also 

 Wooden Tallies. 



Ladders. 



The garden ladder should be light and 

 portable, and that the utmost lightness as 

 well as a maximum of strength may be 

 attained, it is desirable that the sides 

 should consist of the best red deal or pine 

 sawn and planed, connected with oak 

 rungs or staves, and having three rungs 

 in the form of iron bolts with nuts, as 

 shown in the accompanying illustration. 



1KO>- RUNG OF GARDEN LADDER. 



These iron rungs should be placed one in 

 the centre and one at each end, so as to 

 form the end rungs but one in each case, 

 the end rungs being of oak. The iron 

 bars, as may be seen, are made with a 

 shoulder at each end, against which the 

 sides of the ladder are butted, and the 

 ends are screw-threaded to carry nuts. 

 When the bars, both of wood and iron, are 

 all placed in position the nuts are screwed 

 up, and the ends of the oak staves are cut 

 off close to the outer surface of each side of 

 the ladder, and split and wedged up. The 

 object in view in making a ladder in this 

 manner is to produce a perfectly rigid 

 framework of the greatest possible strength 

 compatible with the dimensions of the 

 sides, the length of the ladder, and the 

 lightness necessary to ensure portability. 

 The sides of the ladder, at least, should 

 be painted, and the bars, both of iron and 

 wood, may be treated in the same manner. 

 From 10 to 15 feet will be found a con- 

 venient length for an ordinary ladder, 

 although in the case of large fruit-trees 

 covering the end of a house or building, 

 one of even greater length will be, neces- 



sary. It is desirable to have two or three 

 ladders of various lengths, from 6 or 8 feet 

 upwards, for short ladders will often be 

 found useful in dealing with fruit-trees and 

 climbers on walls of moderate height, and 

 they are always more convenient than 

 steps, and can be lodged against a wall 

 with less chance of injury to trees, &c. 



Lanta'na (nat. ord. Verbena 1 ceae). 



Although some of the Lantanas, as, for 

 example, Lanlana Camara, range from 6 

 feet to 10 feet in height, yet they may be 

 described as a genus of dwarf bushy shrubs, 

 half-hardy perennials, from 12 inches to 18 

 inches in height, thickly studded with 

 pretty miniature verbena-like blossoms of 

 varied colours and changing hues from 

 j snow-white with primrose centres to deli- 

 cate pink and rose with white discs, and 

 from bright rose-lilac to orange and scarlet 

 with creamy centres. For the conservatory 

 and flower garden they are alike valuable. 

 Seeds sown in March make fine summer 

 and autumn blooming plants. They suc- 

 ceed best in dry, warm situations, and in 



light rich soil. They are also propagated 

 by cuttings taken about the end of August, 

 and set in small pots in' good loam, 

 lightened by old and well-rotted manure 



