1S28 



LAI" U US 



LAVANDULA 





of CmxHV, wlion^ it swks inoistinv in ;i thirsty land 

 .ilonc xvith till' wilil oliw :iiul tin- arbutus. Anil this 

 suivt bay is the laun'l ot' tho poets, of the first and 

 jsn-alesl ol all (XK't ami artist nations of tlie eiu'th— the 

 hiurel sjhtihI to Apollo, and used in many ways in his 

 worship. :is wv may set^ on coins, and in many other 

 thinps tluit riMniiin" to us of the <;reat peoples of tlic 

 |uist" ^Cin. 47, pp. 301. 307). .\ltliouj;li so univereally 

 us»ti. therf !ire few important horticultural varieties,— 

 the v.arieKaleti-leaved and erispeil-leave<l (the crimped- 

 leavinl Ix-inR sometimes knowit as L. rajalix) forms beiuff 

 the Ix-st knowii. There is also a willow-leaved form 

 (kno«ni :us L. galicifolia). Propagated by cuttings, and 

 sometimes by seeds. L. H. B. 



Cullifation of bay trees. (H. A. Siebr«cht.) 



The sweet bay trees in their various trained forms of 

 stanilard. globular, oval, conical and pjTamidal shape, 

 arc almost indispensable in connection with the now 

 prevailing architecture of our modern i)ala(es of the 

 kcnaissjince, Venetian, as well as Colonial and old 

 English fonns. Most of the leading architects reijuire 

 these formal and higldy ornamental trees for the proper 

 setting of their builihng designs. 



Ver)' few such tre«'s, 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, wliich 

 countn.- produces nine-tenths of all these trees which 

 are used in ail shapes and fonns; 

 second, the higher labor cost 

 and expen.ses to jiroduce them in 

 this country prohibit the cidti- 

 vation and constant training. 



It is estimated that several 

 hundred thousand bay trees are 

 sold every year in Euroi)e and 

 America. They are mostly im- 



Corted from Belgium and Hol- 

 tn<i, where they are cultivated 

 as follows: Cuttings 3 to 4 inches 

 long from well-riiM'ned wood are 

 put in sharp sand, either under 

 bell-glas,ses or in glass cases. 

 Bottom heat is not essential. 

 After the cuttings have rooted, 

 they are placed in small jiots, in 

 fairly rich sandy loam, with good 

 drainage, and can then be put 

 in a hotbed, with gentle bottom 

 heat . when? t hey will at once make 

 a g'xxl 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 

 colrl 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 ventiliv- 

 ted shed — an ordinary bam-like shed, som(>tiiiies built 

 .several feet into the ground and firovided with sky- 

 Hght.s and ventilators. These plants arc set in close 

 rows and waterefl once or twice a week, according to 

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

 unless thc! weather gets extremely cold. The tempcni/- 

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

 taken out and either potted and plungid in nursery 

 rows, or nianted out, as b(tfore. Plenty of water, rich 

 jn-aty wiil and the congenial moist atmosphere near the 

 W;acoaflt induces them to make a f:ist and luxuriant 

 pxiwth. ThiLS they are cultivated continually until the 

 plants have been trained into the desired form, and as 

 rfxin a« they have attained enough of this fonn to show 

 their character, which usu.-illy is from five to six years 

 after propiigation, they are [ilanted in j)roperIy prf>- 

 jwrtioned hardwfxjd tubs and are then rea<iy for the 



■ **''-^£iSii^s:- 



2115. 



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 growni 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 

 (lying from drought. 



In retul)l)iiig 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 ciises 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 

 w:ish; referring to the use of 

 lavender in the bath). Labiatse. 

 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; fis. 

 blue, violet or lilac; calyx tubu- 

 lar, 13-1.5-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 shouM be provided for lavenrler. The plants of 

 this genus grow naturally in dry and hilly wastes, 

 except L. multijida 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. anguslifolia, Moeneh). 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 J^ in. long: spikes interrupted; whorls ti-10-fld. 

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

 Hort. (var. compdeta naiin, Hort.). Compact form: 

 larger, deef)er-colored fis., blooming 3 weeks earlier 

 than type: i) in. Rock-garden or border. 



Spica, (Jav. Dwarf cr than the true lavender, whiter, 

 th(^ Ivs. more crowded at tlie base of the branches, spike 

 denser and shorter. Th(^ floral Ivs. are lanceolate or 

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

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

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



Laurus nobilis in tubs 



