66 AQUATIC PLANTS 



are hardy over winter, and if it is desired to confine them to a certain 

 space or locality they should be boarded in or otherwise divided from 

 the rest of the pond. The roots go several feet deep. The Lotus is one 

 of the most beautiful of all decorative plants. Its magnificent leaves and 

 flowers swaying majestically in the summer breezes convince us that this 

 plant well deserves the prominent place it has been accorded in the 

 literary classics throughout history. 



Bog Plants. Among the best of the bog and pond plants are Varie- 

 gated Sweet Flag, Cape Pond Weed, Marsh Marigold, Umbrella Plant, 

 Cyperus papyrus, Water Arum, Pickerel Weed, Sagittaria japonica, Sagit- 

 taria montevidiensis, and Lizard's Tail. 



It is safer to use no fertilizer in planting bog plants. 



ENEMIES OF AQUATIC PLANTS 



The most serious enemies are muskrats. These eat the roots of 

 several hardy aquatics, particularly over the winter season. They are 

 partial to the roots of the small yellow water lily, Pygmaea helvola. 



Fig. 54. Aquatic Cutworm in its Case 



A leaf-cutting worm (Hydrocampa), sometimes becomes quite a 

 nuisance. It cuts a piece from the edge and, laying it on the leaf, attaches 

 the two together and uses the two pieces as a cocoon. Loose bits of 

 water lily leaves, Sagittaria, etc., observed floating around will, if pried 

 apart, often be found to contain this white worm. The illustration is 

 life size. They should be hunted out and destroyed. They are the larvae 

 of a moth which can be caught at night by use of a fly paper lamp shade. 

 The light bulb itself should also be banded with the paper. Sticky side 

 out in both cases. 



Plant Lice. Several varieties of aphis, or plant lice, attack aquatic 

 plants. A few on water lily leaves seem to do no harm, but sometimes 

 large colonies rapidly develop on the standing leaves of plants like 

 Sagittaria in such numbers as to kill the leaves. If fishes are present in 

 the water, the use of chemical spray is too dangerous. A stiff spray from 

 a hose nozzle will dislodge most of them. If one wishes to take the 

 trouble they can be wiped off the plants and killed. 



In an aquarium they can be eliminated by wiping the glass above the 

 water edge and then floating a piece of newspaper on the surface, cut to 

 completely cover it. This will drown the remaining aphis in an hour. 



