Water Lily 



Weeds 



WATER LILY (.- NYMPHyEA). 



WATSONIA (ai/ns. MEEIANA and NEU- 

 BEUIA. BUGLE LILY.) 



About fifteen species of bulbous plants (ord. 

 Irideie) needing a greenhouse temperature. The 

 plants are easy to grow, and several of them are 

 verv handsome decorative subjects. Meriana 

 Ardernei (M. O'Brieni by the Kern /land-List) is 

 probably the best known of all. Propagation is 

 by offsets, removed while the bulbs are at rest ; and 

 by seeds, sown in gentle heat. Soil, two parts of 

 sandy loam and one part of peat. When planted 

 in prepared borders in pits or frames the bulbs 

 flower much more strongly than they do when 

 in pots. 



Principal Species and Varieties : 

 coccinea, My., sc. (*yn. (sijn. Autholyza Meri- 



Mrrkma cocciiiea). ana). 



deusiHora, Je., rosy red, Ardernei (see var. 



in a dense spike, Ivs. O'Brieni). 



IV to '2' long, strongly O'Brieni, 2' to 4', 



ribbed. sum., wh. 



Meriana, My., pur. or sc. rosea, !2', Jy., ro. (*.'/. 

 (iladiolus pyramidatus). 



Other Species : 

 aletroides, 1' to 2', Je., liumflis, 8" to 12", Je., ro. 



sc. (syii. tubulosa). iridifolia fulgeus (see 



angusta, Je., sc. (si/us. angusta). 



iridifolia fulgeus, ful- margiuata, 2', Jy., pk. 



gida of Salis., and Minor is a pretty yar. 



Antholyza f ulgens) . plantaginea (now Micran- 



brevifolia, 9" to !">", My., thus plantagineus). 



sc. (.'/. Antholyza punctate, 4" to 15", Je., 



spicata). sc. or vio. (yn. Ixia 



f ulgida (sec angusta) . punctata) . 



tubulosa (see aletroides). 



WEBERA. 



This genus (ord. Rubiacete) of stove trees and 

 shrul is is now referred to Tarenna by Index 

 Ken-entii, but it is still kept up in the Kmv Hand- 

 List. The only species worth mention is corym- 

 bosa, which may be multiplied by cuttings, and 

 thrives in a compost of equal parts of loam and peat. 



Principal Species : 



corymbosa, sum., wh., a small tree, slightly 

 fragrant. 



Water Leaf (Passijlora lanrifolia). 



\Vnler Lentils (see Lemna). 



Wnt IT Lettuce (see Pistia). 



Water Lily, New Zealand (see Ranunculus 



Lyallii). 



Water Locust Tree (Gleditscliia monosperma). 

 Water Melon (see Citrttlliis rulgaris). 

 Water Milfoil (sec Myriophyllum). 

 Water Oak (see Quereiis nigra). 

 Water I'tirsiiip (see Siiim). 

 Water Plants (see Aquatics). 

 Water Reed (see AT undo). 

 Water Soldier (gee Stratiotes aloidci). 

 Water Violet (see Hottonia palustris). 

 Water White Oak (Qumus li/rata). 

 Water Dammcr (Podnnirpiix neriifolia). 

 Wattle (see Acacia and Citharexylum). 

 Waxflon-er (sec Hoy a}. 



Waxjlower, Clustered (see Stephanotisfloribunda). 

 Wax Myrtle (see Myrica ccrifera). 

 Wax Palm (Copernicia ccrifera). 

 Wax Plant (see Cerinthe major). 

 Way liread (see Plantayo). 

 \V<iyJ'nrii>ij Tree (Viburnum Lantana). 

 Webbia (see Vernonia). 



WEDELIA. 



Stove, greenhouse, or hardy, annual or perennial 

 herbs or sub-shrubs (ord. Composite), of interest 

 chiefly to the botanist. Propagation, hispida by 

 seeds and divisions, radiosa by seeds and cuttings. 



Principal Species : 

 hispida, U', Je., hlf-hdy. 

 per., yel. 



radiosa, 2', Je., grh. sub- 

 shr., yel. 



WEED DESTROYERS. 



There are several excellent weed destroyers upon 

 the market, and where there is a great length of 

 paths to be kept clean, and hands are few, it will 

 be found true economy to enlist the services of one 

 of them. One good dressing early in the season 

 will keep the paths in fairly good condition for the 

 rest of the year, provided a little hand-weeding 

 is done occasionally. As these liquid destroyers 

 do not possess discriminating powers, it is very 

 important that they should be kept off the grass 

 verges ; in fact, it will be advisable not to sprinkle 

 them within 6" of the grass edge. Also all 

 the utensils used for applying the weed killer 

 should be kept apart, and not used for anything 

 else. Tender pot plants have been killed by water 

 applied through pots which have been previously 

 used thus. 



Common agricultural salt makes a fairly good 

 weed destroyer, and it may be sprinkled upon 

 walks that are very weedy ; but if the latter are 

 shaded with trees the salt should not be used, for 

 it tends to make the paths damp, and after a time 

 the weeds grow faster than ever. 



WEEDS. 



The keeping down of weeds is a heavy item in 

 the labour bill of the garden, yet it is evident that 

 if the crops are to be given a fair chance weeds 

 must not be allowed in any numbers. They not 

 only rob the cultivated plants of a good deal of 

 their legitimate food, but they prevent the proper 

 aeration of the soil, and hinder nitrification, as 

 well as give the garden an untidy appearance. 

 Moreover, the presence of certain weeds indicates 

 a condition of the soil that is not at all favourable 

 to healthy growth ; thus a waterlogged, stagnant 

 medium is almost always demonstrated by quantities 

 of Horse-tail (Equisetum arvense). Colt's-foot not 

 infrequently has the same significance, and the pres- 

 ence of Chickweed may be commonly associated 

 with soil poverty. 



Amongst other common weeds Couch Grass, 

 Bindweed, Dandelions, Daisies, Shepherd's Purse, 

 Plantains, and Thistles are the most difficult to get 

 rid of. Where the weeds have running rhizomes, 

 as in the notorious Couch, there is nothing for it 

 but thorough winter cultivation, this being followed 

 by persistent spring and summer hoeing. The 

 same applies to Bindweed. Hand-weeding plays 

 an important part, but it must not be practised in 

 wet weather on heavy ground, or more harm than 

 good will result. Gravel paths may be kept in 

 trim by an occasional hand-weeding, special 

 weeding knives with short, stout blades being 

 employed. If they have been neglected and 

 allowed to get very bad, a weed destroyer must 

 be made use of, or the old gravel removed and 

 fresh material substituted. 



Weed-trind or With-icind (tee Conrolruliii or- 

 ventit). 



