1828 



LAURUS 



LAVANDULA 



of Greece, where it seeks moisture in a thirsty land 

 along with the wild olive and the arbutus. And this 

 sweet bay is the laurel of the poets, of the first and 

 greatest of all poet and artist nations of the earth the 

 laurel sacred to Apollo, and used in many ways in his 

 worship, as we may see on corns, and in many other 

 things that remain to us of the great peoples of the 

 past" (Gn. 47, pp. 301, 307). Although so universally 

 used, there are few important horticultural varieties, 

 the variegated-leaved and crisped-leaved (the crimped- 

 leaved being sometimes known as L. regalis) forms being 

 the best known. There is also a willow-leaved form 

 (known as L. scMcifolid). Propagated by cuttings, and 

 sometimes by seeds. L. u. g. 



Cultivation of bay trees. (H. A. Siebrecht.) 



The sweet bay trees in their various trained forms of 

 standard, globular, oval, conical and pyramidal shape, 

 are almost indispensable in connection with the now 

 prevailing architecture of our modern palaces of the 

 Renaissance, Venetian, as well as Colonial and old 

 English forms. Most of the leading architects require 

 these formal and highly ornamental trees for the proper 

 setting of then- building designs. 



Very few such trees, if any, are raised or cultivated 

 in this country, for several reasons: First, because the 

 climatic conditions for their rapid growth and develop- 

 ment are far inferior to the climate of Belgium, which 

 country produces nine-tenths of all these trees which 

 are used in all shapes and forms; 

 second, the higher labor cost 

 and expenses to produce them in 

 this country prohibit the culti- 

 vation and constant training. 



It is estimated that several 

 hundred thousand bay trees are 

 sold every year in Europe and 

 America. They are mostly im- 

 ported from Belgium and Hol- 

 land, where they are cultivated 

 as follows: Cuttings 3 to 4 inches 

 long from well-ripened wood are 

 put in sharp sand, either under 

 bell-glasses or in glass cases. 

 Bottom heat is not essential. 

 After the cuttings have rooted, 

 they are placed in small pots, in 

 fairly rich sandy loam, with good 

 drainage, and can then be put 

 in a hotbed, with gentle bottom 

 heat, where they will at once make 

 a good strong growth. After this they are planted, as a 

 rule, in nursery rows, in rich sandy soil, with perfect 

 drainage. They will make a strong shoot 3 to 5 feet in 

 length in one season. These shoots are tied up to stakes. 

 At the end of the growing season and long before the 

 cold weather sets in, these young plants, together with 

 their stakes, are taken up and put into their winter 

 quarters, which usually is a well-lighted and ventila- 

 ted shed an ordinary barn-like shed, sometimes built 

 several feet into the ground and provided with sky- 

 lights and ventilators. These plants are set in close 

 rows and watered once or twice a week, according to 

 the weather. Little or no fire heat is used in these sheds 

 unless the weather gets extremely cold. The tempera- 

 ture is kept just above freezing. In the spring they are 

 taken out and either potted and plunged in nursery 

 rows, or planted out, as before. Plenty of water, rich 

 peaty soil and the congenial moist atmosphere near the 

 seacoast induces them to make a fast and luxuriant 

 growth. Thus they are cultivated continually until the 

 plants have been trained into the desired form, and as 

 soon as they have attained enough of this form to show 

 then- character, which usually is from five to six years 

 after propagation, they are planted in properly pro- 

 portioned hardwood tubs and are then ready for the 



2115. Laurus nobilis in tubs. 



market, or to be further cultivated, perhaps for a good 

 many years, until they grow into large specimens. The 

 trees are cut back and trimmed into shape once a year, 

 after the new growth is well matured. 



The peaty muck soil in which they are grown abroad 

 is very deceptive to Americans, and many fine trees 

 have been ruined by not understanding its nature. Its 

 dark color always makes it look moist. Sometimes 

 when the soil looks moist enough the trees are really 

 dying from drought. 



In re tubbing trees, there is danger of using for filling 

 material a soil that is too heavy. The water then runs 

 into the new soil, leaving the old soil dry. If the trouble 

 is not detected soon the trees may be spoiled. The only 

 thing to do in such cases is to comb out the old ball and 

 cut back to live roots. The tree can then be planted in 

 the open to gain a new set of roots, after which the top 

 can be cut back to live wood. The tree may thus be 

 eventually brought into a good shape again. 



As a rule, bay trees are not good house plants. They 

 do not like the dry heat of a dwelling. They can, how- 

 ever, stand considerable heat if they have plenty of 

 fresh air and plenty of water. In spring and early sum- 

 mer, when they are making and finishing their growth, 

 they can stand any quantity of 

 liquid manure or of strong 

 manure mulching, for they are 

 great feeders. The cured leaves 

 of the sweet bay are used in 

 putting up packages of rice, and 

 impart a rich and agreeable 

 aroma. 



LAVANDULA (Latin, lavo, to 

 wash; referring to the use of 

 lavender in the bath). Labiatae. 

 This group includes the lavender 

 (L. vera), an ancient garden 

 favorite because of its pleasant 

 odor. 



Perennial herbs, subshrubs or 

 shrubs: Ivs. commonly crowded 

 at the base, pinnatifid or dis- 

 sected: whorls 2-10-fld., crowded 

 into long-peduncled cylindrical 

 spikes, which are unbranched or 

 branched from the base; fls. 

 blue, violet or lilac; calyx tubu- 

 lar, 13-15-striated, 5-toothed; 

 corolla-lobes nearly equal, or the 

 posterior lip 2-cut, the anterior 

 3-cut; stamens 4, didynamous, declined, included in the 

 tube; style shortly 2-cut at the apex. -Species upward 

 of 20, Canary Isls. to India. In the N., winter protec- 

 tion should be provided for lavender. The plants of 

 this genus grow naturally in dry and hilly wastes, 

 except L. multifida which is found growing in peat. 



A. Spike loose: upper floral Ivs. fertile, shorter than 



the calyx. 

 B. Lvs. not densely woolly. 



vera, DC. (L. angustifolia, Moench). LAVENDER. 

 Subshrub, 1-3 ft. high: Ivs. oblong-linear or lanceolate, 

 entire; younger ones often clustered in the axils, white- 

 tomentose, revolute at the margins; older ones greener, 

 1-1 Yi in. long: spikes interrupted; whorls 6-10-fld. 

 Summer. Perhaps a form of L. Spica. Var. compacts, 

 Hort. (var. compdcta nana, Hort.). Compact form: 

 larger, deeper-colored fls., blooming 3 weeks earlier 

 than type: 9 in. Rock-garden or border. 



Spica, Cav. Dwarfer than the true lavender, whiter, 

 the Ivs. more crowded at the base of the branches, spike 

 denser and shorter. The floral Ivs. are lanceolate or 

 linear (rhomboid-ovate acuminate in L. vera), and the 

 bracts are linear-awl-shaped, shorter than the calyx, while 

 in L. vera the bracts are almost absent. Medit. region. 



