ON WATER PLANTS. 133 



neither ponds, rivers, or springs in them ; and I recommend the doing 

 of it in the method following : — 



Either in garden pots glazed, without holes, or in troughs or cases 

 of wood of oaken boards two inches thick, six feet long, and two feet 

 wide, and two feet and an half deep ; if they are for large plants that 

 grow under water the troughs need not be so deep. The corners of 

 these troughs should be strengthened with iron, and the inside 

 should be well pitched, and the outside painted. 



These pots or troughs should be filled one-third part with common 

 unmixed earth for water lilies or pond weeds, or such as require 

 depth of water for their leaves to swim in. 



And for water Arums, water Plantains, and Ranunculuses, which 

 love not so much depth of water as the former, they may be filled 

 two-thirds with the same earth. 



And so for those water plants that grow in bogs and marshes, the 

 pots or troughs may be filled with the earth within five inches of the 

 top. 



This may be performed in April, when the water plants begin to 

 appear, which may be planted from that time till the middle of June; 

 and the vessels may be filled with water as soon as the plants are put 

 into them. 



It ought also to be observed, that many of the water plants are 

 erratics, swimming about from place to place, as the wind carries 

 them, taking no root in the earth, only striking their roots in the 

 water ; as ducks-meat, frog-bits, and water-soldiers ; a small quan- 

 tity of earth in the bottoms of the pots or cases will be sufficient to 

 maintain the water in a right state for the support of these. 



And, indeed, the best way to understand the right method of cul- 

 tivating them in gardens will be to observe the mode of growth, and 

 the exposure of those plants that we would civilize in our gardens. 

 For the plain road of nature should be always followed, or at least 

 kept in view, in order to obtain healthful plants. 



In thus artificially cultivating water plants, it is my opinion that 

 those that naturally grow in rivers should be frequently refreshed 

 with spring water ; but such as delight to grow in standing pools or 

 ponds should be seldom interrupted with it. 



It may also be observed, that water plants when they are removed 

 are as long before they recover themselves, to renew their growth, a3 



