October 17, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
875 
varieties have been raised here. We 1 noted Fire Dragon (the 
Cactus Pelargonium), Fleur de' Pose, Rudyard Kipling, Pink 
Raspail, Winston Churchill, etc. 
One house contained a collection of Caladiums, together 
with such table and stove plants as Dela,b e-cliia, rupestris, Leea, 
amabilis sple-ndens, etc. 
Ferns included specimens of useful size of such as Adiantum, 
Pteris, Asplemium Nidus, and many others, Seedlings of 
Osmunda. palustris show that this can be readily raised in that 
way. A good strain of Gloxinias included many plants in 
bloom on the occasion of our visit. Lobelias of the Cardinalis 
type were grown to good size in small pots. Young Vines in 
pots were making strong growth. Palms for decorative pur¬ 
poses included Kentias, Arecas, Cocos weiddeliana, etc. 
A fine Heliotrope was that named Be-e-chhill, with broad 
leaves and large trusses of flowers. Amongst winter-flowering 
Begonias we noted Gloire de Lorraine, Alba grandiilora, Turn- 
ford Hall, John Heal, and Gloire de -Scaux. Seedlings of 
Primula. Forbesii were being reared in one house in company 
with a. collection of show Pelargoniums. Lobelia King Edward 
is a. fine bedding variety, with blue flowers and a white centre. 
Tuberous Begonias were still good, a fine strain of them flower¬ 
ing in pots. Most, of the fine ones that we noted were selected 
seedlings, although a few were named. 
Narrow-leaved Dracaenas included such useful table plants! 
as Mrs. D. P. Laird, the Queen, Norwoodiensis, Princess of 
Wales, Duchess of York, Flambeau, and Victoria. 
In one of the greenhousesi was a. fine batch of Salvia splen- 
dens Gloire de Stuttgart, Statices, Passiflora, Lassiandra ma- 
crantha., Francoa racemosa., etc. 
In, the open, air were collections of Ivies, tree Paeonies, and 
seedling Delphiniums. 
The Best Flowering Plants at Kew. 
“ There are more plants in the garden than ye wot of.” • 
Catasetum fimbriatum. 
A showy and interesting Orchid, which when in flower excites 
much admiration. Its large flowers, 2^ in, long, are produced 
on pendent, seven to' nine flowered peduncles. The sepals 
and petals are white, occasionally pale' yellow, closely barred 
with red, whilst, the exceptionally large lip, is of a cowslip- 
yellow hue, and further enhanced by having its frontal margin 
deeply fringed. It forms, a useful basket plant, which when 
suspended reveals the character of the flowers. Paraguay. 
Neobenthamia gracilis. 
The generic name was given in compliment to G. Bentham, 
the neo being prefixed, as a genus now extinct had previously 
borne his name. Though somewhat singular, it is a graceful 
terrestrial plant, with slender semi-erect stems clothed with 
linear bright green laves. The stems are terminated by a. 
capitate inflorescence of many flowers, which with the 1 exception) 
of the lips are white, the lip having a, line of yellow running 
down, the' centre, on each side of which is a line of purple 
spots. This is a plant which it is probable will, if cultivated 
by market growers, prove remunerative. E. Tropical Africa,. 
Clitoria ternatea. 
An evergreen, graceful, stove climbing plant, which produces 
large Pea,-shaped flowers of a bright azure hue in the axils of 
its leaves. The clear colour of the standard is rendered more 
effective-by a curious horseshoe-like ring of pure white. There 
are white and pink varieties, which, however, are not in colour 
so attractive. Tropics. 
Ipomoea rubro-caernlea. 
A rapid-growing species which soon, clothes a pillar in, an, 
intermediate house, where it,, when in, flower, is very effective, 
its flowers being large and of a beautiful clear colour. Mexico. 
Daedalacanthus parvus. 
A dwarf branching plant, producing freely erect inflorescences 
of violet-coloured flowers. When grown in small pots and 
massed on a stove stage they give a distinct and conspicuous 
colour effect. India. 
Hymenocaliis eucharidifolia. 
By the decorator the- pure white flowers of this family are 
always appreciated, and deservedly so, for in chaste purity 
they are almost unsurpassable. In a, stove this forms a plant 
with thin green leaves about 12 in. long and a scape o-f a 
similar length, bearing an umbel of tour to five erect flowers. 
Each flower lias a slender greenish tube 4 in. long, linear 
spreading segments, and a funnel-shaped corona 1J in. deep. 
Tropical America, 
Vallota purpurea. 
An old favourite, yet withal an exceedingly handsome plant, 
which for autumn display is almost unsurpassed. It might be 
termed |lie Hippeastrum of the autumn, and it is regrettable 
that it, is not taken up, by some- florist and improved upon. 
We have known single bulbs of it in 3-in. pots, wherein they 
were left undisturbed for eight years, annually produce two- 
scapes of six flowers each. A mid-season vinery is a very 
suitable place for them during the winter, when they ought to 
be kept continually growing. Cape of Good Hope. 
Aconitum Wilsoni. 
An exceedingly handsome and conspicuous herbaceous plant 
about- 4 ft. high, its terminal one-third being a mass of large 
pale blue flowers. The flowers, which are about 2 in. from the 
top of the hood to the- tip of basal segment, consist of four, 
rarely five, segments, surmounted by a, helmet-shaped hood. 
The stems- are stout, clothed with dark green, leaves tinted 
brown, cuneate at base-, deeply cut into three segments, which 
are again cut into linear marginal segments. China. 
Polygonum polystacliyum. 
A handsome, stout, perennial which is very effective when 
planted out in a bed at some distance from any other plant. 
Its stout stems produce 1 at their apex a large 1 branching head 
of numerous spikelets, densely set. with white fragrant flowers, 
rendered more conspicuous as they are borne cleur above tlie 
foliage-. Himalaya,. 
Colchicum speciosum. 
One of the largest and best-coloured of the genus, which 
ought to be in every garden, where, to derive the best effect 
possible, it should be planted out in the grass. There is a 
white variety, which, however, is as yet a, rare and highly priced 
plant. Caucasus. 
Gymnolomia multiflora. 
Herbaceous plant, about 2 ft, high, having a brownish, 
branching stem, broadly linear leaves, and Marguerite-like 
flowers- on long footstalks, which hold them well above the 
foliage. Flowers-, bright yellow, about 2 in. across. A useful 
and decorative autumn bedding plant. Mexico. 
Lemon-grass Cultivation.— A correspondent of the “ Madras 
Mail ” calls the attention of planters and others to the possi¬ 
bility of making a profitable side-industry out of the cultivation 
of what is known as Lemon-grass, or “ Andropogon citratum,” 
which grows freely on the hills in Southern India. He thinks 
there is no doubt that a big industry might be established by 
the systematic cultivation of the grass, and its collection for the 
purpose of distilling the oil by a more modern process than is 
now followed. A new pattern of still was recently constructed 
in Travancore, and is said to work satisfactorily. There is a 
steady demand for the oil. which is a transparent substance, 
with an extremely pungent taste and a strong odour of lemon’ 
and it is used in English and Continental perfumery under the 
name of oil of Verbena. The supply at present falls far short 
•of the demand, and prices are steadily on the increase, beiim 
from 6d. to 7d. per ounce. At present Travancore has prac¬ 
tically a monopoly of the Indian trade in the oil, thou Mi cul¬ 
tivation has recently been extended to the Cochin State. It 
may be added that oil of Lemon-grass is a most effective pro¬ 
tection against mosquitoes. A little applied to face and hands 
at night—and it is quite pleasant to use—will go further to 
secure untroubled slumbers than the inn of infallible remedies 
which only sweeten the slumbers of the chemist. 
