128 



THE AQUARIUM, JULY, 1894. 



water until thoroughly moistened from 

 below. 



In a few weeks the surface of the soil 

 will assume a green, mossy appearance, 

 and if you examine this with a glass, 

 you will see the minute round or oval 

 leaves, (the jirimordial scales,) whose 

 forms a few more days will reveal to 

 the naked eye. You will be much in- 

 terested in watching the development 

 of the little fronds which soon follow. 

 Be patient, give plenty of light but no 

 sunshine, keep the soil uniformly moist, 

 and in good time you will have a fine 

 stock of little plants. When these are 

 large enough to handle, they must be 

 picked out and planted singly in the 

 smallest sized pots. Some varieties 

 may be left in the seed pots even a year 

 before transplanting. 



( To be continued. ) 



A CASH PREMIUM. 



In due recognition of the fact that it 

 requires time and also money to inquire 

 into the causes of diseases of goldfish, 

 several gentlemen in Germany, and also 

 the editor of The Aquariltm, are now 

 making up a purse of one thousand 

 (1,000) marks to be given to the person 

 discovering the causes and cures of cer- 

 tain new diseases of goldfish kept in 

 aquariums. 



We expect to arrange about the de- 

 tails when abroad this summer, and 

 shall publish them in our next issue. 



E>rs 



Queries. 



CURE FOR POISON IVY. 



The following formula is warranted 

 to effect a cure within twenty-four 

 hours : 



One ounce olive oil. 



Fifteen drops bromine. 



Mix together and rub the salve over 

 parts aifected. — Am. Gardening. 



For the small sum of fifty cents in 

 advance, which pays for a year's sub- 

 scription to The Aquarium, you are 

 entitled to ask information on any point 

 regarding the aquarium or the window 

 garden. We offer no other premium 

 to our subscribers than that of putting 

 our 25 years of practical experience in 

 these branches at their disposal. Ask 

 as many questions as you please, but 

 please to enclose postage for reply. All 

 questions are answered by mail, and we 

 publish only such in these columns as 

 are of general interest. 



Mr. W.— T^ic weight of the water 

 will bend the zinc or galvanized iron 

 bottom of an aquarium if the latter is 

 not supported by a wooden one, and 

 thus cause the cement to give way. In 

 your case we would use a lot of old news- 

 papers ; put these on the table first to 

 the required thickness and then set the 

 tank on it. An aquarium tank should 

 not be carried with water in it. 



C. L. — Feed your young goktfish on 

 powdered I. X. L. fishfood several 

 times a day. Young fish in an out of 

 door basin or pond need not be fed arti- 

 ficially except the pond is overstocked 

 in regard to natural food supply. 



Mrs. C. — Pieces of newspaper slided 

 over the surface of the water will re- 

 move all the scum and dust from it. 



Dr. S. — It may be the iron bottom 

 of your tanks that causes your plants to 

 die. You can remedy that by planting 

 the plants in small glass salve jars, or 

 by lining the bottoms of the tanks with 

 glass. 



