April 27, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
should have about two tablespoonsful of sweet oil 
put into them, and placed in positions where the 
cockroaches are most plentiful, with pieces of lath or 
stick against them for the cockroaches to climb up, 
In this manner large quantities may be captured. 
Phosphor Paste is also sold in large quantities for 
poisoning them. Arsenic mixed with boiled Potatos 
or roasted Apples destroys a large quantity. It 
should be remembered that they are like many other 
pests, they will not always eat the same thing, there¬ 
fore, if one remedy fails another should be tried. 
“THE PLEASURE GROUNDS’’ 
Call for much care and attention from now up to 
the month of October. Every eight or ten days the 
mowing machines must be on the go, if the gardener 
is to keep all in good trim. Men with smaller 
machines as well as scythes must follow in the train 
to cut near trees, shrubs, and close to flower beds, 
edging the latter, also verges each time the grass is 
cut, or else the work looks but half done. Stir the 
soil between beds full of Tulips, Polyanthus, Myoso- 
tis.Silene, Daisies, Aubrietia, Arabis, Pansies, Violas, 
Wallflowers, &c. The continual downfall of rain 
during March and the first half of this month has 
almost washed the plants out of the beds, leaving 
the^urface more or less caked over and preventing 
sun and air from penetrating the soil. This stirring 
will help the plants the better to throw up their 
flowers. 
Delay no longer the sowing of grass seeds, well 
firming the ground before and after sowing by plying 
the roller several times over it. Let the surface be 
as fine and as even as possible, raking the seeds well 
in before the final rolling takes place. The relaying 
of turf should have been finished ere this, or it is 
apt to suffer from drought during summer. 
In the herbaceous beds or borders the respective 
plants should be examined, especially where they 
are massed, and if found encroaching on their neigh¬ 
bours cut back the same with the spade, or the 
arrangement will soon get out of order. Here, again, 
as soon as the plants are wall through the soil the 
flat or Dutch hoe will be requisite. 
Remove all weeds from walks where weed-killer 
is not allowed to ba used (as here) before the busy 
time of bedding out arrives, well rolling the same 
after. Get all new gravel laid down as expeditiously 
as possible before very dry weather sets in, or it will 
be found impossible to get it to bind, unless the same 
is watered in, and this is net always convenient. 
Keep the centre of the walk a trifle higher, but avoid 
rounding too much, as such walks, though drier, are 
anything but pleasant for two or more persons 
abreast to walk on. The trimming of the verges 
with the edging iron should be dene every spring, 
straight lines be made as true as possible, while 
curves or bends must be pegged out. Place the line 
close up to the same before cutting, avoiding too 
sharp turns which prove objectionable.— Grower. 
■€»- 
“SWEET SCENTED VERBENA.’’ 
This old fashioned plant (Aloysia citriodora) has 
had a struggle in many gardens to maintain its 
existence. Its sweet scented foliage makes it useful 
at any time for intermixing with sprays, buttonholes, 
etc. Of course, there is always reversion of taste, 
but I think that this “ lemon plant ” will always be 
sought after. In many favoured spots it will thrive 
well out of doors where planted at the foot of and 
trained against walls. Cut it down pretty hard after 
the wood has ripened, and cover only in very severe 
weather, with some rough bracken. If it is fortunate 
enough to escape the first winter it will have a better 
chance to survive in the future. As a pot plant it is 
worthy of more recognition than it receives, if 
treated more after the style of the Fuchsia. For 
mixing with groups of pot plants in conservatories 
it is well suited. This plant is by no means to be 
despised for the sake of its flowers alone, for 
although the blossoms are minute, their profusion in 
long graceful spikes make a pleasing effect. Take 
cuttings in early spring of nice young shoots, dibble 
them ia pans of sand and leaf mould, place on a 
shelf in greenhouse, water and shade from sun. 
When rooted pot off into 3 in. pots, adding a little 
turf to your mixture this time, afterwards into 5-in. 
pots. You can either pinch every now and then for 
bush plants, or allow only one stem until it reaches 
3 ft., when it might be pinched and allowed to form 
a standard. It can also be used for pillars or arch¬ 
ways in verandahs, or planted at the foot of rustic 
seats, where perhaps the convalescent would get the 
benefit of nature’s perfume.— T. S. Dick, Castlemilk. 
WATERFALL AT BICTON, DEVON. 
The accompanying photograph shows the waterfall 
at the bottom of the pleasure grounds at Bicton. The 
water finds its way into the river Otter, eventually 
adding its little to help swell the briny ocean miles 
distant. It is really the overflow of the many lakes 
scattered over the Bicton grounds, while on the 
banks of the stream Gunnera manicata and scabra, 
Spiraeas, Bambusas, Irises, Arunda conspicna and 
Donax, and Gyneriums, Eulalias, Phormium 
tenax variegatum, &c., are thrifty and happy. 
came loose and caused some little difficulty with the 
railway companies at this end of the journey, as they 
were used to receiving them carefully protected. 
The consignment also included large quantities of 
Pineapples in two varieties, the Ripley and the 
Smooth Cayenne, Pomelos, Mangos, and Oranges. 
In due course it is intended to import Limes and 
several other choice fruit, up to the present strangers 
to the British market. 
HELIOTROPES. 
The Heliotrope or Cherry Pie, as it is familiarly 
called, is a favourite in most gardens on account of 
its delightful fragrance. It is also a very accom¬ 
modating plant, either for bedding or pot culture; 
and well grown, plants in pots are very attractive 
Waterfall at Bicton, Devon. 
On either side or the waterfall can be seen 
Phormium tenax, each carrying a flower spike 
(though only one is clearly shown in the 
photograph), flourishing and full of beauty ; 
also huge masses of Rhododendron arboreum and R. 
nobleanum with banks of Camellia japonica in all its 
many colours, the former now in flower, the latter to 
follow and carry on the floral display well into 
June. 
Fruit from the West indies.—The first consign¬ 
ment of fruit from the West Indies, by the Imperial 
Direct West Indian Mail Service, has been, as 
anticipated, an immense success, and very soon we 
may have an abundance of fresh fruit on our markets 
that have only hitherto been obtainable in a pre¬ 
served form. It included 18,000 bunches of 
Bananas, which were not packed as is usual, but 
indeed. Away back in the eighties fine specimens 
used to be shown in the Falkirk district of Stirling¬ 
shire, and just the old Heliotropium peruvianum, a 
favourite of mine still on account of old associations. 
There are few such sturdy specimens, however, to 
be seen as the one described by Mr. Blair on page 
506. I was particularly struck by the abnormal 
girth of the stem, 19 in. ; surely it is no stripling of 
recent planting. The area it covers is nothing 
unusual. I know at least three in south Ayrshire as 
big in that way, one each trained on the gable end 
wall of span-roofed greenhouses at Pinmore, 
Trochrague, and Glendounei I am not sure if there 
is one at Bargany, but think there is one there on 
the same site. If there is, and it is treated in the 
able way Mr. Buchanan does all under bis care, it, 
too, will be a giant among its fellows. The one at 
Glendoune I measured, after reading the article 
