556 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 27, 1903. 
The Best Flowering Plants at Kew. 
“There are more plants in the gardens than ye wot of.’’ 
Odontoglossum Halli. 
This, the most superb of Ecuadorean Odontoglots, was dis¬ 
covered by Col. Hall, whose name it bears:, in 1837, at eleva¬ 
tions of 8,000ft. above sea, level. Its pseudo-bulbs are ovoid, 
elongated, much compressed, with acute edges, and charac¬ 
teristically furrowed, a. point of demarcation when not in 
flower. Leaves linear 10 in. to 15 in. long. The racemose 
arching scape is from 30 in. to 36 in. long, many flowered, 
eacli flower being from 3 in. to 4 in. in diameter. It has sub¬ 
equal petals and sepals with reflexing tips, which are some¬ 
what variable in colour, especially in markings. In the best 
forms the sepals are tipped bright yellow', followed by a large 
chestnut blotch, divided two or three times by yellow bars ; 
basal half yellow with oblong markings; the petals are more 
heavily tipped yellow, and have smaller markings over the 
basal area,. Lip oblong, pointed with a jagged edge, pale 
yellow, sometimes white', with red spots and a bright, yellow 
crest of two comb-like lobes. A handsome and desirable ad¬ 
junct to all collections. 
Cymbidium rhodochilum. 
One of the most striking Orchids introduced during recent 
years, which flowered for the first time under cultivation in 
the Kew collection last summer. It is a robust plant, produc¬ 
ing an imposing flow r er spike of graceful habit. The individual 
flowers are large, and specially noticeable is the large red lip, 
which affords a splendid contrast against the background of 
black-spotted green petals. It is possible that this species may 
for a time at least be considered a rarity, as it. is reputed as 
difficult of importation ; so it is hoped that the hybridist may 
avail himself of this opportunity to perpetuate a series of 
floral gems. 
Dimorphotheca Ecklonis, 
One of the so-called “ Cape Marguerites ” forms a desirable 
change from the more common kinds, which, with its graceful 
habit and floriferousness, ranks it as a, useful horticultural 
plant, either for flowering in pots, for side stages, as specimen 
plants, or for summer bedding. As,a mass it is also effective 
in the herbaceous border. The Daisy-like heads are produced 
singly on moderately long flower stalks, are about 3 in. in 
diameter, consisting of about 16 ray florets, white with 
a, violet, reverse, and a central mass of small azure tubular 
florets.. The closing of the flowers in the evening is not a dis¬ 
advantage, as the violet reverse of the ray florets thus- pre¬ 
sented to view is very attractive. Native of S. Africa. 
Paeonia lutea. 
An interesting species, of recent, introduction, possessing a 
woody stem and golden yellow flowers. In vegetative struc¬ 
ture its affinity is most to P. Moutan, (Syn. P. arborea), whilst 
the colour of its flower is most closely approached by P. witt- 
manniana, which, however, is decidedly paler, and the plant, 
herbaceous. It forms a glabrous plant, producing from a short 
woody stem ternatisect glaucous leaves, the stem terminating 
in a flower 2 in. to 4 in. across of greenish sepals, and six to 
ten concave yellow petals. Time, it is hoped, is all that is 
required to eliminate from this species a golden-coloured race 
which in size and usefulness will equal the prominent 
“ Moutans.” Native of China. 
Papaver Rhoeas umbrosum 
Though but a. form of the “ common Poppy,” the effect pro¬ 
duced by a long, narrow border at present is very difficult to 
excel, and so easily cultivated that all can participate in its 
charm. As a succession to the gaudy Tulip, it. is specially 
adapted, giving as they fade a display of colour which they 
can hardly at their best be said to beat. Many of the flowers 
show a tendency to become double, possibly not a very desii 
able feature, but if the tendency goes no further than it has, 
it. but adds to the effect, as the additional petals are but small 
and feathery compared with the four large normal ones. 
Soot and Wireworm. 
Mr. Beckett, on page 460 of The Gardening World, advises 
a good dressing of soot to be applied to Potatos to protect them 
from wireworm. Two years ago I planted a few late Potatos on 
a piece of ground where the tubers had been badly perforated a 
previous year, and I scattered the soot so thickly in the drills 
that the tubers w'hen taken up were quite black and as badly 
perforated as ever, and no freer than those by the side of them 
planted without soot. Our method of planting borders and 
short breadths is to dig the ground and plant as we proceed, 
but when we come to a few rows here and there 60 ft. or 70 ft. 
long the soil is thrown up in ridges as early as possible in 
winter by digging three spits wide, throwing the two outer ones 
on the middle one. At planting time the bottom of channels 
are levelled and manured and the Potatos set, and the ridges 
partly levelled to cover them. At one time I used to dm 
and manure the ground and dibble the sets in, but the ground 
being clammy planting could not. be performed, except^in ex¬ 
ceptionally dry weather, for if the soil was at all wet at 
planting time the dibber left the sides of the holes smoothed 
as if cemented. Since I have taken to ridge the soil I have 
been nearly free from the attacks of wireworm. I cannot 
account for it unless the exposing of a greater surface of soil 
lias exposed the wireworm also, and the Starlings, which 
are always in the garden, came to our assistance, or maybe 
the seasons have been in our favour. Has anyone made a com¬ 
parative trial with soot as a preventive to the attacks of wire- 
w ™ ? Wm. P. Roberts. 
Guerdon Hall, Preston. 
Weeds. 
There was a good deal of force in the language as well as 
in, the spirit of a, cottager the other day over weeds when he 
said that “ hoeing them was no use j they only grew again 
directly because ot the rain. I advised him to pull the weeds, 
under the circumstances', and he admitted it was the only 
wise course to take. We are fond of advising that the hoe 
he freely used amongst crops at all seasons, but- especially 
in the summer season, when not only is it desirable, to. destroy 
weeds, but also to- keep, on the sml'ace a mulch of loose, tine 
soil. But, then, in giving such advice we have regard to what 
are termed normal seasons, and not to abnormal ones, such as 
is the present, when w'e find the leafy month of June to be 
beyond a dripping one 1 —rather a saturating one—with the 
heaviest rainfall on record. It. is in such cases, with one flue 
day and two wet ones alternating, that not only do weeds grow 
apace, but their destruction is a. matter of the greatest diffi¬ 
culty. 
All sorts of chemical agents are advised for weed destruction, 
but the remedies are often, worse than the disease, as beyond 
killing the crops we wish to save as well as the weeds they 
poison the soil for some time, additionally. Still, at all risks, 
weeds must be kept down. To allow them to remain and 
smother the crops on the ground is madness. To let them 
remain, and, beyond that harm, run to seed and fill the soil 
with vast, quantities of seed, is the greatest of all garden 
follies. There is no other course open, but to- pull them out 
and remove: them, and doing this also ere they become large. 
We cannot grow weeds any more than we can grow ordinary 
crops: unless we dig them in—not by any means always prac¬ 
ticable without abstracting from the soil much that is valuable 
in plant food ; hence we suffer doubly by weeds in loss of useful 
crop and in loss of soil nutriment. But pulled weeds need 
not be- absolutely wasted. They can be put into, a heap, and 
in a, damp condition will soon decay and become vegetable 
manure. That can then be dressed onto ground it is proposed 
to plant with Cabbage or winter greens, and thus render some 
tiood service. A. D. 
C5 
