verage weather, keep in good form for a month. This species is somewhat
mixed up with another called _S. Fabarium_; by many they are said to be
identical, but such is not the case. I grow them side by side, and I may
say that they are as "like as two peas" up to midsummer, when they begin
to diverge. _S. Fabarium_ continues to grow to the height, or rather
length, of 2ft., and tumbles over; the foliage has a lax appearance,
and the flowers are very pale. Concurrently _S. spectabile_ has grown
its stems and glaucous leaves to stouter proportions, and crowned them
with more massive heads of bright rose-coloured flowers, at the height
of 15in. It is larger in all its parts, with the exception of length of
stem, and by September it is nearly twice the size of _S. Fabarium_; it
also stands erect, so that then the two species suggest a contrast
rather than a comparison, _S. spectabile_ being by far the more
desirable.

I find, however, that it is much slower in increasing itself; the best
way to propagate it is by cuttings dibbled into sand in early summer.
The commoner one increases rapidly and often bears the wrong name; care
should therefore be taken to obtain the true species, after which it
will not give much further trouble, thriving in any kind of soil, but it
should be planted in the full sunshine, when its habit and flowers will
be greatly improved. It will bear any amount of drought--indeed, it
seems to enjoy it. My finest clump is on a very dry part of rockwork,
where it has always flowered well. These two Stonecrops and a variegated
variety are some of the very few hardy plants which slugs do not graze;
at any rate, it is so with me; neither do other pests attack them, but
the humble bees literally cover their flowers the whole day long at
times.

Flowering period, August to October.

Sempervivum Laggeri.

LAGGER'S HOUSELEEK; _Nat. Ord._ CRASSULACEAE.

Of the numerous species and varieties of Houseleek, this is at once the
most curious, interesting, and beautiful. It is by far the finest of the
webbed forms. It has, however, the reputation of not being quite hardy,
but that it will endure our severest winters is without doubt, and if we
recall its habitats, which are in alpine regions, its hardiness in a low
temperature need not be further questioned. Still, partly from its downy
nature, and partly from the dampness of our winters, this climate causes
it to rot. There are, however, simple and most eff