Larch Poles

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Larkspur

much good may be done by spraying with
a paraffin emulsion. This wash should be
applied with force in order to penetrate
the wool and so reach the insect.

LARCH POLES. The tall, straight
trunks of the common larch tree are
largely used in garden work as supports
for climbing plants. The wood being very
durable, these trees are admirably suited

One of the most beautiful trees in spring is the

Larch, with its pale green foliage and tiny red

stars. A useful tree for shelter belts on sandy

soils.

to such a purpose. The poles are lopped
of all side branches unless a few at the top
Are retained to form a thicker screen. The
bark is then stripped from them (as it
harbours insect pests) and the wood is
treated with a preservative such as creo-
sote. Every description of rustic fencing
and screening can be made from larch
wood. *

LARDIZABALA (lar-diz-a-ba-la. Ber-
beridese). The only species, L. btiemata, is
an almost hardy climbing shrub with dark
purple flowers in October.

Propagate by cuttings of half-ripe shoots
Insetted in sand under a bell-glass. Plant
in equal parts of peat and loam.

LARIX (lar-ix. Conifers). Larch.
Deciduous trees of distinct and ornamental
appearance, and producing timber of verv
high quality. The larches are exceedingly
attractive in spring with the young shoots
of a soft, pale green, and the fascinating
red-coloured flowers which develop into
attractive glaucous red-coloured cones in
early summer. The larches like a well-
drained good loamy Soil, and plenty of
moisture. They are best increased from
seeds, sown out of doors. The rare and
choice kinds are grafted in spring on seed-
lings of the common larch.
SPECIES.

L. euToptza (decidua). The "Common"
or "European Larch," up to 140ft,
Native .of South and Central Europe. 4
tree of very great economic importance,
owing to its very valuable timber. Few, if
any, trees excel the Common Larch in its
quiet beauty and soft tenderness of young
green foliage in the spring. The exquisite
flowers are worthy of close study.

L. Kcempferi. See PSEUDOLABIX.

L. leptolepis (Kampferi}. The "Jap-
anese Larch," 80-100 ft. Very distinct
and useful as an isolated specimen in the
garden or park. Immune to *'LarcB
canker," and exceptionally valuable on
that account. The timber is of a coarser
grain than that of the European Larch.

LARKSPUR. The annual Delphiniums
are usually known as Larkspurs in
trade lists. D. ajacis, blue hardy annual,
2£ft., is the common Larkspur, a native of
Britain, and has given rise to many of the
modern cultivated forms with single 01
double flowers in a variety of shades of
blue and rose, and dwarf or "nannm"
types of similar colours, 1J ft.

JD. consolida. or tall-branching Larfe-
spurs, 2-2J ft., are particularly good gar-
den plants, being very free flowering and
easy to grow. There are some beautiful
shades of rosy-scarlet, salmon-pink, rose
and pink now obtainable as "named"
kinds, such as coccineum, Exquisite Eose,
Exquisite Pink, La France, etc., all of
which are well worth growing. This
section'makes fine pot plants from seeds
sown in autumn, and the plants wintered
in cold frames.

D. grandiflorum, l|-2 ft. Native tf
Siberia. WHte, pale blue and dark btoe,