MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 105 
The next plant to bloom was at Salem, Massachusetts, at 
the residence of Mr. John Fisk Allen, who successfully 
flowered it on the 10th of July, 1853. Up to this period the 
Victoria was grown in greenhouses. Later growers, espe- 
cially in the middle west, deviated from this treatment to 
outside cultivation, owing to favorable climatic conditions 
during summer. Mr. Shaw was one of the first to intro- 
duce the Victoria in the West, the St. Louis climate being 
well adapted to this plant. Mr. Gurney, Superintendent of 
Tower Grove Park and Head Gardener Emeritus of the 
Garden, has attained remarkable results in growing speci- 
mens, some over eight feet in diameter and capable of bear- 
ing the weight of a 200-pound man having been produced. 
The Victoria lilies are now treated as annuals. Seeds are 
germinated in heated tanks in the greenhouses during March 
and later are transplanted into large pans and grown 
in the house until outside conditions are favorable. In the 
early part of June they are transplanted into the outside 
ponds, their leaves then averaging a foot across. The de- 
velopment of the leaves is extremely rapid and by August 
they have attained their maximum size. The recently com- 
pleted formal pond in the Linnean House Garden is planted 
with the two types of Victoria, Victoria regia and Victoria 
Cruziana, this latter variety being a hardier form. 
An interesting fact for the first time recorded in this 
locality is that of Victoria Cruziana germinating from self- 
sown seeds. This is an annual occurrence with Euryale feroz, 
but not so with Victoria. Several hundred seedlings are 
appearing in the center of the large formal pond. The 
water was left in the pond throughout the winter but during 
April was drained off in preparation for fertilizing. That the 
seeds were well covered during the spading under of the 
manure is evidenced by the enlongated radicle of the 
seedlings measuring in some cases six inches. 
Euryale ferox.—Prior to the introduction of the Victoria 
regia, the Kuryale was looked upon as the giant lily. This 
plant is indigenous to India, and like the Victoria, the seeds 
are edible, being gathered by the natives and ground into 
flour or baked. This plant, however, is not as handsome a 
specimen as its Amazonian neighbor, possessing neither the 
large white fragrant flowers nor the platter-like leaves. The 
leaves grow flat measuring four and five feet across and the 
flowers, which are deep purple, are small and insignificant. 
Euryale is perfectly hardy in St. Louis, that is, the plant will 
resow itself in the ponds during summer. The following 
spring the seeds will germinate readily, it only being 
necessary to thin out the young plants. A representative 
