492 



HENDEKSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



WAT 



a mirror, and in its depths you behold another 

 glorious picture a perfect image of the flow- 

 ers themselves. The large, star-like white 

 ones keep company with the red in their night 

 watches, and are not unworthy companions 

 for them. Look around at the floating leaves, 

 the numerous buds which will open with to- 

 morrow's sun, the tall shields of the Lotus, 

 the rich, tropical foliage on the banks, the 

 rustic arbor covered with myriads of the sil- 

 very blossoms of the Moon Flower (Ipomcea or 

 Cdlonyction grandiflora), and tell me if this is 

 not a fairy scene. And having taken a view 

 of the Water Lily Garden by daylight and by 

 lamplight, will you not acknowledge that in 

 all that is really beautiful it far surpasses the 

 most elaborate exhibition of carpet-bedding? 

 "Perhaps you will say this is a fancy 

 sketch. Our answer is, that it has been so 

 far realized that we do not hesitate to place 

 such a garden as we have described among the 

 list of ' Possibilities of Horticulture ' in 

 America." 



Water Purslane. A common name for Lud- 

 wigia palustris and Peplis portula. 



Water Rice. See Zizania. 



Water Shield. A common name of one of the 

 Water Lily family, of the genus Brasenia. 



Water Soldier. See Stratiotes. 



Water Violet. Hottoniainflata, a white-flowered, 

 aquatic perennial, common in the Southern 

 States. 



Water White Oak. Quercus lyrata. 



Water Willow. American. See Dianthera. 



Water- wort. Elatine Americana. 



Watso'nia. Bugle Lily. Named in honor of 

 W. Watson, a celebrated London apothecary. 

 Nat. Ord. IridacecB. 



A genus of half-hardy bulbs from the Cape 

 of Good Hope, formerly classed with the 

 Gladiolus, to which genus they are closely 

 allied, and to which they' bear a close resem- 

 blance. They require the protection of a 

 frame during winter, or they may be grown 

 successfully in the green-house, where their 

 long spikes of brilliant flowers, scarlet, pink, 

 flesh, white and purple, make a magnificent 

 appearance. This, like others of its class, 

 receives but little attention in this countiy, 

 where flowers are so abundant from early 

 spring until winter, that do not require any 

 special care or protection. The beauty of the 

 flower garden in June would be far greater if 

 a little attention were paid to the growing of 

 what is known as Cape Bulbs, the only require- 

 ment being a cold frame of any desired size, 

 and the bulbs protected against hard frosts, 

 but more particularly against rains, too much 

 moisture during the season of rest being very 

 destructive to the whole class. The gorgeous 

 flowers that the many species and varieties 

 afford in June amply repay the slight cost and 

 care in producing them. The Watsonias are 

 produced freely from offsets. Introduced in 

 1754. Syns. Meriana and Neuberia. 



Wattle. An Australian name applied to vari- 

 ous species of Acacia and Citharexylum. 



Wax-Flower. See Hoya. 



Wax-Flower. Clustered. Stephanotis flori- 

 bunda. 



Wax-Myrtle. A common name for Myrica 

 cerifera, which see. 



WEI 



Wax-Palm. See Ceroxylon. 



Wax-Pink. A common name for several spe- 

 cies of Mesembryanthemum. 



Wax-Plant. The common name for Cerinthe 

 major. 



Wax-Tree. See Vismia Guianensis. 



Wax-work. The climbing Bitter-Sweet, Celas- 

 trus scandens, is sometimes called Wax-work, 

 from the appearance of its orange-colored 

 pods. See Celastrus. 



Wayfaring-Tree. See Viburnum Lantana. 



We'bera. Named in honor of G. H. Weber, 

 Professor at Kiel and author of several bo- 

 tanical works. Nat. Ord. RubiacecB. 



A genus of stove-house trees and shrubs, 

 natives of tropical Asia, Africa and Australia. 

 Only one or two species are in cultivation. 

 Syns. Ceriscus, Stylocoryne and Tarawa. 



Wede'lia. Named for G. W. Wedel, a German 

 botanist, Professor at Jena. Nat. Ord. Coin- 



A genus of annual or perennial herbs or 

 shrubs, widely distributed throughout the 

 tropical regions. The several species in cul- 

 tivation are interesting from a botanical 

 standpoint only. 



"Weeds. All plants are so called that come up 

 spontaneously in the ground where crops are 

 sown or planted, no matter what they are ; 

 for, if not wanted there, no matter how orna- 

 mental they may be, they are out of place, 

 and should be cut down as weeds. Annual 

 weeds are the most troublesome on cultivated 

 grounds, but, if taken in time, are easily kept 

 down by use of the steel rake, which, if used 

 before the weeds appear above the surface, 

 makes this part of cultivation a simple matter. 

 (See Bake.) It is of the utmost importance for 

 the welfare of crops that weeds should never 

 get a headway ; for not only is the labor of de- 

 stroying them doubled or quadrupled, but 

 they are generally the grossest kind of feed- 

 ing plants, which thus deprive the crop of its 

 legitimate food. The evil of neglect to de- 

 stroy weeds is not confined to one season ; 

 for when allowed to go to seed, the penalty is 

 paid year after year, often for four or five years 

 after, the seeds coming up as plowing or dig- 

 ging brings them to the surface for germina- 

 tion. We can call to mind instances where 

 market gardens, cultivated in close seed 

 crops, were rendered almost useless in the 

 hands of slovenly owners. When ground gets 

 into this condition, the only remedy is to 

 grow crops such as Cabbage, Potatoes or 

 Corn, which have vigor enough to crowd 

 down an excessive crop of weeds. If land is 

 filled with the seeds of weeds, such crops as 

 Onions, Carrots, Parsnips, Strawberries or 

 Spinach will rarely pay for the labor of clean- 

 ing. 



Weeds in Lawns. See Lawns. 



Weeping Cherry. Cerasus semperflorens. 



Weeping Willow. See Salix Babylonica. 



Weige'lia. Named in honor of C. E. Weigel, a 

 botanical writer, and author of "Observ. 

 Botan." in 1772. Nat. Ord. Caprifoliacece. 



This genus of very ornamental, hardy, de- 

 ciduous shrubs was introduced from China 

 and Japan in 1843 by Mr. Fortune, to whom 

 we are indebted for many rare and beautiful 



