THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



The Speaker remarked upon the many unsightly old swamps which are 

 to be seen most anywhere, illustrating with lantern slides a swamp of 

 this kind in New Jersey. With a series of colored slides, made from 

 photographs taken of this same swamp after its transformation, he showed, 

 what could be done in the way of beautifying such places by turning them 

 into water gardens. The first step in this work is to build a dam, thus 

 creating a lake. The tussocks must be removed by cutting ofif the vege- 

 tation as fast as it appears above the surface of the water, thus depriving 

 the plants of air, without which they must die. This is much easier and 

 decidedly less expensive than the old way of laboriously digging them out. 

 In a water garden two things must be borne in mind, the frame or 

 surroundings, and the picture, made up of the true aquatic plants. With 

 colored lantern slides many suitable trees, shrubs and herbs were illus- 

 trated which could be used for this purpose, including some of the best 

 hybrid water lilies. 



It is also possible to create a water garden in a waterless tract by 

 making a cement pond. A series of slides was shown illustrating the 

 effects which could be produced in a pond of this kind. By proper plant- 

 ing the artificial rim of the pond can be effectually concealed. In such 

 a pond can be grown with great success, not only the hardy lilies, but also 

 the tropical forms. The Victoria, the royal water lily of South America, 

 can be successfully cultivated here. This, with its enormous leaves, some- 

 times over six feet across, with the wide upturned margins, is most attrac- 

 tive. Its flowers appear during the night and exhale a perfume much 

 resembling that of the pine apple. 



If one cannot afford the larger efforts at aquatic gardening, or if space 

 will not permit, small cement tanks may be constructed at slight cost; 

 or if even this is not possible, half barrels or hogsheads will give oppor- 

 tunity for cultivating some of the water lilies. An old whisky or oil 

 barrel can be purchased for a dollar and this, when cut in two, will make 

 two receptacles. These can be sunk in the ground and the margins taste- 

 fully decorated. With rich soil placed in the bottom and the necessary 

 water, some of the daintiest of the water lilies may be successfully flowered. 



George V. Nash, 



Secretary. 

 November ii, 1910 



A meeting of the society was held at the American Museum of 

 Natural History on Friday, November 11, 1910, at 4.10 P.M., 

 Dr. Britton presiding. 



The minutes of the meeting of October 12, 1910, were read and 

 approved. 



The following persons, having accepted the invitation of the 

 council to become members, were approved by the council and 

 referred to the society for action. 



118 



