LEAVES. 



165 



le'dum. 



scription makes a layer or a cutting of 

 a shoot that has the leaves on, he ei- 

 ther takes them off entirely or cuts off 

 their tips, not knowing that it is by 

 means of the leaves alone that such 

 cuttings can produce roots. (See 

 Cuttings.) At the base of every 

 leaf there is the rudiment of a bud, 

 either visible or dormant, and unless 

 the leaf be allowed to come to matu- 

 rity, this rudiment is killed or pre- 

 vented from becoming a vital germ. 

 Wherever buds are required, there- 

 fore, it is necessary to preserve leaves. 

 But leaves not only return sap to the 

 buds at the base of their petioles, but 

 through these petioles they return sap 

 to the general circulation of the plant ; 

 and hence, the growth both of the 

 roots of the plant and its shoots de- 

 pends entirely on the number of its 

 healthy leaves. Leaves perform their 

 office of elaborating the sap by expo- 

 sure to the light and air, and more 

 especially to the direct influence of 

 the sun ; therefore it is not sufficient 

 to preserve the leaves which a plant 

 produces, it is also necessary to pre- 

 vent them from being darkened by 

 adjoining plants or other objects, or 

 from darkening other leaves. This 

 in some cases requires thinning both of 

 leaves and shoots; but more gene- 

 rally it may be effected by placing 

 the plant in an open airy situation. 

 As the progress of a plant, therefore, 

 after it is once originated, and planted 

 in a proper soil and situation, depends 

 entirely on the leaves and on their 

 treatment ; it follows that the growth 

 of the plant may be in a great mea- 

 sure checked by the removal of the 

 leaves, either before they have burst 

 from the bud or immediately after- 

 wards. In this way Mr. Beaton has 

 reduced the shoots of the most vigor- 

 ous-growing fruit-trees without ever 

 once using the knife. The same prin- 

 ciple may be applied in the case of 

 every other description of plant. 



Leaves are also occasionally used 

 instead of manure or tan, for hotbeds ; 

 and very frequently for what are 

 called linings to old hotbeds, theheat 

 of which has decreased. 



Lechenau v ltia. — Goodenbvice. — 

 There are two species of this well- 

 known genus, both natives of New 

 Holland, and both conspicuous for the 

 great abundance of their dark scarlet 

 flowers. L. formbsa is very common 

 in windows, greenhouses, and small 

 balconies ; but, though it is so gene- 

 ral a favourite, few people can keep 

 it long. The fact is, that though it 

 does not belong to the same natural 

 order as the heath, it very much re- 

 sembles it in habit, and it is even more 

 easily killed. The Lechenaultia should 

 be grown in heath-mould mixed with 

 a little loam, and treated exactly like 

 a heath : that is, never suffered to be- 

 come too dry, and never saturated 

 with water. It should be potted high, 

 so as to leave the collar above the 

 mould in the centre of the pot ; and 

 when kept in a balcony, the pot in 

 which it grows should be placed withiu 

 another pot, so that the roots may not 

 be injured, by the outside of the pot 

 becoming heated by the sun. The 

 most important point, however, is to 

 allow the plant plenty of air, as it 

 will not live without abundance of both 

 air and light. L. Baxterii is much 

 more beautiful than the old species, 

 as the flowers are much larger and 

 more brilliant, but it requires the 

 same treatment. 



Letjum. — Ericaceae. — The Labra- 

 dor Tea. American low shrubs, with 

 pretty white flowers, which require 

 to be grown in peat and sand, heath- 

 mould, or very sandy loam. Ledum 

 buxifolia, the Sand Myrtle, is fre- 

 quently called Ammyrsine buxifd- 

 lia in the nurseries. It is a very 

 pretty, compact-growing little plant, 

 with box-like leaves, and clusters of 

 white flowers, which have a pink tinge 



