197 



WATSONIA 



:!. Meriana, Mill. This scciiis t.i be the dominant 

 species of the genus ami h.ii.-.- thi- luost variable ami 

 the one most iuterestinK t" tin ]il:iiit ln-eeder. In its 

 widest sense it ineludts IT. i , ,,l u.'l i,t . but for horti- 

 cultural purposes it will bi' I-..IIV. )ii. Ill tM ci.nsider the 

 latter a distinct species. W. M>,-i'i, ■■ 1m i ir-nl.i.il 



to the commonest type at the (_'ii| > , ;i 1 



species 3-4 ft. hiffh, the stem u- : 

 %-% in. wide and the spikes IJ - -. li - .■ m 

 plant fic:iir.Ml i„ n V 118 us Anlh.,!,!..: M.,,.,„.i. (.,ii. 

 17:2:)(l 1- iM ..,, ,.,.,, ,1 i„ color. The white-tld. form, 

 whifli i~ ■•;■. is treated under W. iridifoliii. 



Baker - i ai-e scarlet-fld. forms of this spe- 



cies, but ;. !.. I !■ hi iKi name, and it is probable that 

 all such ^lM.uM br iTr,.riTd t„ II-, aii.iiista. 



4. iridifdlia, Krr. Tiiis i^ inat.d bv Baker as a va- 

 riety of ir. .1/, ,-(r,„,, clKira.-lrri/.r.l bv broader Ivs. than 

 the type: lis. clusi-r and luon- numerous, white or pink- 

 ish. For horticultural purposes it will be convenient to 

 treat it as a distinct species and restrict the name to 

 the pink or rose-colored type. 



Var. O'Brlenl, N. E. Br. ( W. alba, Hort. W. O'Brleni, 

 Mast. W.iridifdlia.Y&r.alba,Wm.RobiDson. H^.A-nhr- 

 nei, Hort. W. Meriana, var. albu, Hort.). White 

 Watsonia. a variety with pure white fls. discussed 

 above. Gn. 17:2.'!0; 43, p. 229; 51, p. 284. J.H. III. 

 29:219. G.C. III. 11:305; 19:143. A.G. 20:573. 



5. densiJldra, Baker. This very distinct and hand- 

 some rose-colored species more nearly resembles a 

 gladiolus than any other by reason of the density and reg- 

 ularity of its pyramidal inflorescence. Stems unbranched, 

 2-3 ft. high: spikes a foot long: fls. bright rosy red. 

 B.M. G400. — There is a choice variety with pure white 

 fls. Var. ilba, Hort., was introduced as early as 1891. 



6. cocclnea. Herb. This showy scarlet-fld. species 

 differs from jr. Meriana in its stem being shorter and 

 unbranched, the spikes fewer-fld. and the styles a trifle 

 longer. Stem 1 ft. high: spikes 4-0-fld. B.M. 1194 ( TT. 

 Meriana variety). 



7. Mmilis, Mill. This species has rose-red fls. ap- 

 parently the same size and color as W. densiftora but 

 only 4-6 in a spike and the stem only a foot or so high. 

 B.M. 631. -A Tarie^'iited form figured in B.M. 1193 as 

 W.rns,:.-„ll,„ l,,is M spike of 8 flesh-colored fls. with 

 broad b^iii.K mid splaslu-s of scarlet. 



8. rdsea, K.r. Kobust rose-colored species, growing 

 4-6 ft. high and the lis., though fewer than those of II'. 

 densiflora, are perhaps capable of greater size. Spikes 

 about 15-fld. B.M. 1072. 



W. argiita, Hort. .John .Saul. 1893. is presumably a cataloirue 

 error, as no such name appears in Baker's latest monoKraph. 

 W. M. 

 WATTLE. See Acacia. 



WAX BERRY. Siimphoricarpus. W. Flower. See 

 Hoya. W. Palm, t -misult Diplothemium. W. Plant. 

 Hoya carHonii. Waxwork. Celastrus scandens. 



WAYFARING TREE. Viburnum Lantana. 



WEATHER PLANT. See Abrus. 



WEEDS. It would have been 

 culture if there had bi-i-n n.. «.■ 

 us stir the soil, and stirrin- tin- 

 of good farming. Evtn hIn r 

 crops are benefited by the siini 

 likely to forget the lesson or to 

 less the weeds constantly remind us of it. ^ 

 always the best schoolmaster; and of these ] 

 weeds are amongst the chief. 



A weed is a plant that is not wanted. There are, 

 therefore, no species of weeds, for a plant that is a 

 weed in one place may not be in another. There are, 

 of course, species that are habitual weeds; but in their 

 wild state, where they do not intrude on cultivated 



areas, they can scarcely be called \v.. ,1s. Tl nimon 



pigweed and the purslane are soniriim.- \ . -, talbs, in 

 which case potato plants would In- \m ■ .N i! iImn- i;rew 

 among them. 



The one way to destroy weeds is to practiL-e good 



for; 



L'tflll of 



WESTRINGIA 



to be 



likely to take the place of gra-^ i\ In 



grass begins to fail. The r. iii.dy 



, !t may be necessary to plow 1 

 ' aases, however, it is only n 

 liLTlit surface tillage, to adi 



i-ia' : aiiilaiiii 1:1 il i- Iv for Weeds On lawus. If such 



«a i : ilandelion and plantain, it is 



ad i; but in order to keep them 



owl , I -1 uh I .1 ii. ,1 1m si-cured. The annual weeds 

 that come in th,- lam, il,, first year are usually de- 

 stroyed by frequent ii~,' ol il,,- lawn mower. 



Foul lands may ii~iially I,,- .Nan-d of weeds by a 

 short and sharp systini of n,tati..n of crops, combined 

 with good tillage in some of the crops of the .series. 

 When the land for any reason is fallow, — as when it is 

 waiting for a crop, — surface tillage with harrows or 

 cultivators will serve to keep down the weeds and to 

 make the land clean for the coming crop. Often lands 

 that are perfectly clean in spring and early summer 

 become foul in the fall after the crops are removed. 

 Cleaning the land late in the season, therefore, may be 

 one of the most efficient means of ridding the land of 

 weeds. Coarse and rough stable manure, which is not 

 well rotted, may also be a conveyer of weed secrl. The 

 seeds of weeds are sometimes carried in the sci d with 

 which the land is sown, particularly in grass and grain 

 seeds. 



It does not follow that weeds are always an evil, even 

 when they are abundant. In the fall a good covering of 

 weeds may serve as an efficient cover-crop for the 

 orchard. They are likely to entail some extra care the 

 next year in order to prevent them from gaining a 

 mastery, but this extra care benefits the orchard at the 

 same time. It is, of course, far better to sow the cover- 

 crop oneself, for then the orchardist secures what he 

 wants and of the proper quantity and at the right sea- 

 son; but a winter cover of weeds is usually better than 

 bare earth. 



From the above remarks it will be scon tliiit wc-cds 

 are scarcely to be r,:;ai,l,,| a- itii,,lai,,, i,ia[ ,l,ii:, ,,!ii,'s 

 in farming, but rati I, , I , , ii- 



sive and careful fai ' _ >' ■ a-t. 



There .should beacai.nil ,iN ,a-~iL'i,i ,.i all «a-i, ar, as, 

 as roadsides and vacant lots. Kxpcni-ncc has sliown 

 that the greatest difliculty arises on commons and waste 

 land, not on farms. 



Weeds are often troublesome in walks, particularly in 

 those made of gravel. If flm v alk ".t.. .-xaaivat,.,! two 

 feet dc.-p and filled with st - , ,M,I,' ,a -,,:,l :,-li.s. 



portant that gutters be not la, ,' , ,l-c 



thev become weedy. Thcr., ar,- \an,,ii- |,r, parai i,,iis 

 that can be applied to walks to kill the weeds, although, 

 of course, thev also kill the grass edgings if carelessly 

 applied. Strong brine, applied hot, is one of the best 

 (1 lb. of salt to 1 gal. of water). There are also prepa- 

 rations of arsenic, vitriol, lime and sulfur. 



L. H. B. 

 WEEPING TREES. Consult Trees. 



WEIGELA. Referred to DierviVa. 



WEST INDIA RATTLE BOX. Crolalaria retusa. 



WESTERN CENTAURY. Uesperochiron. 



2: stamiuodia 2, short. 



rosmarinifdrmis, Sm. Victorian Robemart. A bushy 

 shrub with the branches and under side of the leaves 

 silvery white with appressed hairs: Ivs. in whorls of 4, 



