DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



raising to the surface of the water, presents a 

 most curious siglit,not easily described. Rolled 

 into a body of a brownish color, and covered 

 with thorny spines, it might readily be taken 

 fur some large species of sea-urchin. The un- 

 der side of the leaves, as well as the long stems, 

 by which the flowers and leaves seem anchored 

 in the water, are thickly covered with thorns 

 about three-quarters of an inch long. On the 

 21st of August, just five months from planting 

 the seed, a flower was developed, and the suc- 

 cess of the interesting enterprise thus fully 

 crowned. 



As yet Mr. Cope has brought forward only 

 one of the three plants produced from the four 

 seeds. But this has continued not only to keep 

 his tank, large as it is, always covered by its 

 immense leaves, some measuring six and a half 

 feet in diameter — many of which have from 

 time to time been removed and replaced by 

 fresh ones — but also furnished two flowers a 

 week since the first blooming. Some of tliese 

 flowers have measured seventeen inches in di- 

 ameter. The petals always open early in the 

 evening, and partially close about midnight. 

 During the daytime, therefore, the Victoria 

 Regia is seldom seen in fullest splendor, unless 

 when removed from the parent stem. 



If the development of the leaves of the Vic- 

 toria Regia present such a singular appearance, 

 the successive movements or changes in the 

 flower are not less extraordinary and far more 

 beautiful. 



The crimson bud, which for several days has 

 been seen rising, at last reaches the surface and 

 throws oft" its external investment in the eve- 

 ning, soon after which the flower petals sudden- 

 ly unfold, the expanded blossom, like a mam- 

 moth magnolia, floating upon the surface of the 

 water, decked in virgin white, and exhaling a 

 powerful and peculiar fragrance which hasheen 

 compared to the mingled odors ofthe pineapple 

 and melon. On the morning of the second day 

 another change is observed and the outer petals 

 of the flower are found turned backward or re- 

 flexed, leaving a central portion of a conical 

 shape surrounded by a range of petals, white 

 on the outside but red within. A slight tint 

 of pink is discernible through the interstices of 

 of these petals, which increases as the day ad- 

 vances. In the evening, about five o'clock, the 

 flower is seen to be again in active motion pre- 

 paratory to another production. The white 

 petals, which were reflexed in the early part 

 of the day, now resume their original upright 

 position, as if to escort their gay colored com- 

 panions surrounding the central cone to the 

 limpid surface below. After this the immacu- 

 late white of first bloom changes to gay and 

 brilliant pink and rose colors. Finally, a third 

 change ensues, marked by the spreading of the 

 petals further backwards, so as to afford the 

 enclosed fructifying organs liberty to expand, 

 are soon seen to rise, giving to the disk 

 flower a peach-blossom hue, the stamens 

 pistils at the some time assuming a figure 



not unlike that of the old regal crown of Eng- 

 land. On the third day the flower is nearly 

 closed. All the petals seem suffused with a 

 purpli.sh i)ink ; the coloring matter, which was 

 originally only seen in the centre, having ap- 

 parently penetrated the delicate tissues of the 

 entire flower. 



The leaves exhibited here do not belong to 

 the plant which produced the magnificent flow- 

 er before you, but were taken from a garden 

 tank in which Mr. Cope has brought forward 

 the lily under glass, without the assistance of 

 stove-heat. It is true this lily has not yet 

 bloomed, but the fine development of leaves 

 gives reason to believe that, with the aid of a 

 warmer sun than they have in England, the 

 Victoria Regia may be brought to perfection in 

 this country, even without artificial heat. In 

 order to give it every advantage, it will still be 

 necessary to start the plants in seed-pans plac- 

 ed in hot-beds, or heated conservatories. 



In concluding thisbrief account of the Victo- 

 ria Regia, I may observe that to German and 

 French scientific explorers of primeval forCvSts, 

 is due the honor of first discovery and descrip- 

 tion, whilst to British activity and perseverance 

 we are indebted for the introduction of this 

 great floral prize into England, from whence it 

 has been brought to our own country. Mr. 

 Cope has succeeded in his first experiment, in 

 producing the Victoria Regia with larger leaves 

 and flowers, than any yet reported as having 

 been raised in Europe. In his conservatory 

 floats the Queen of Flowers in all her beauty, 

 attended by her natural but strange-looking 

 subjects, the orchids, suspended around in 

 groups, and mingling their f.agrance with her 

 own. In fact, the whole scene presented in the 

 lily-house is unique and highly impressive, well 

 calculated to awaken poetical conceptions, 

 among which it is easy to imagine a shrine con- 

 secrated to an oriental goddess, or grotto dedi- 

 cated to water-nymphs, and presided over by 

 ^gle, the fairest of the Naiades. 



Random Notes on Pears. — A few observa- 

 tions made during a short visit to some of the 

 eastern gardens, may prove interesting to the 

 fruit-growing readers of this journal. 



Blight. — A remarkable fact, and throwing 

 some light (negatively,) on the pear blight, is 

 the entire absence from this disease among the 

 trees in the neighborhood of Boston. It seem- 

 ed indeed strange to hear such men as the pre- 

 sident and ex-president of the world-renowned 

 Horticultural Society there, inquiring for the 

 appearance and symptoms of the bliglit as of a 

 disaster personally unknown to them, but so 

 universally known and dreaded in AVestern 

 New- York and in Ohio. Boston and Rochester 

 are not dissimilar in temperature of climate, 

 hence wc cannot trace it satisfactorily or wholly 

 to the weather. Nor is rapid growth a neces- 

 sary cause, for more freely gi-owing tree 

 the thousands on the grounds of M. P. "\A' 

 S. AValkee, or C. M. Hovey, are nowlie 



