BOTANICAL INFORMATION, 347 
June, and then wholly dispensed with till within a few days. The 
solar heat, with the house kept very close, was sufficient to raise the 
temperature of the water to 85°, whilst the atmosphere was about 10° 
higher. The temperature of the house and water, however, was 
materially below these points at times, there being occasionally as great 
a difference as 15°. Notwithstanding these great variations, and the 
low temperature at intervals, the plant flourished in the highest degree, 
and on the 21st of August produced a flower 154 inches in diameter. 
Another flower succeeded it in a week, which was pronounced by the 
Committee of the Pennsylvanian Horticultural Society to be 17 inches 
in diameter; the petals being 7 inches, and the disc or crown of the 
flower 3 inches. For the past three weeks the plant has contributed 
two flowers a week, the ninth flower blooming this evening. The 
leaves have reached a diameter of 63 fect. The salver edge made its 
appearance with the twenty-fourth leaf, and every successive leaf has 
been thus formed. This twenty-fourth leaf attained at maturity a dia- 
meter of 5 feet 81 inches. It was the twenty-seventh leaf that measured 
6 feet 6 inches. Since the plant has begun to bloom, the leaves are 
not so large; still they have reached 6 feet 2 inches in diameter. 
That we have succeeded in producing larger leaves and flowers than 
you have in England, I ascribe to the more favourable character of our 
climate. It is certainly more natural to the plant that the temperature 
of the air should be higher than that of the water. These conditions, 
you are aware, are reversed in England : an effect produced by artificial 
heat, which is of course less favourable than solar heat. 
I have in my kitchen-garden a small basin for catching the rain- 
water and overflow from the aquarium and other houses. It is about 
8 or 10 feet in diameter. Into this basin I planted one of the 
Victorias, on the 25th of June last. The plant has grown remarkably 
well, the largest leaves attaining a diameter of more than 4 feet. It 
has not yet, however, bloomed, and may not, as cold weather is near 
at hand. Sash, blocked by whiting, has remained over the basin 
during the whole time. I am satisfied that we can flower the plant 
next season in this position.* The third plant is still in the small 
seed-pan in which the seed was sown. 
The excitement produced by the successful cultivation of the 
* In our less-favoured summer climate of England, Mr. Weeks, at Chelsea, has - 
successfully flowered this plant in the open air, by a few heating pipes in the water. 
