THE AQUARIUM, APRIL, 1894. 



105 



NYMPH^A SUPERBA. 



{Communicated.) 



Growing aquatic plants in the culture 

 of fish is to some a new idea, to others 

 mere theory, and by the majority of 

 fish culturists it is looked upon as an 

 extravagant task too herculean to be 

 undertaken. However, all who have 

 given the matter a fair test are per- 

 suaded that it is practical, and, to a 

 great extent, indispensable in systematic 

 fish-gardening. The question now be- 

 fore us is : What varieties give the 

 most satisfactory results ? 



Almost every water lily with which I 

 have come in contact has some defect 

 which disqualifies it as a forage plant 

 that may be consistently extended alike 

 into our streams, lakes and artificial 

 tanks. Nymphsa odorata and lilies of 

 its type are too little and ])uny, besides 

 they do not bloom enough, producing 

 scarcely any seed. The tuberosa class 

 is vigorous and quick growing, but very 

 shy bloomers. N. candidissima and 

 that class are fine plants, always in 

 bloom, but the seeds are scarce and 

 very small and the roots increase so 

 slow that it would indeed be a task to 

 stock our waters with these. The 

 nelumbiums (lotus) are wholly worth- 

 less for this purpose. Fish will not eat 

 their seeds, roots or leaves, neither will 

 the seed naturally germinate. 



So it is with the whole list of hardy 

 water lilies, and' they are the only ones 

 of any practical value. Some are too 

 costly, some propagate too slow, and 

 some furnish no more forage than weeds. 



By years of close and extensive study 

 and no inconsiderable research, I have 

 found a plant that is vastly superior to 

 all others in fish growing. It is nym- 

 pha^a superba, a hybrid between N- 

 candidissima and N. tuberosa, produced 

 after years of patient fertilization by 



one of the most skillful growers of. 

 aquatics in the country. To those ac- 

 quainted with the habits of the various 

 water lilies the only commendation 

 necessary is to say that it, to a great 

 measure, combines the rapid, sturdy 

 growing and propagating qualities of 

 the tuberosa, with the freedom of bloom 

 and size of the candidissima. The seed 

 pods, two inches in diameter, are filled 

 with seed agglomerated in a rich jelly 

 of the highest nutritive powers. When 

 ripe the pods open and the fish will de- 

 vour their contents with the greatest 

 relish. So greedy are they for this 

 mass I have seen them nibbling at the 

 green pods, often bursting through and 

 eating the immature seed. 



The seeds, about the size of small 

 wheat grains, are each furnished with 

 two air bladders which enable them to 

 float to the surface of the water, where 

 they germinate, sending down their 

 long roots which, on finding a suit- 

 able habitat, fasten to the soil and 

 soon a new colony springs up as if 

 by the hand of magic. They also 

 propagate by tubers, and at the ter- 

 minal bud like N. tuberosa. In short, 

 they will increase ten times more rapidly 

 and furnish ten times more fish forage 

 to the square yard than any other water 

 lily I have ever known. 



Add to this its iron-clad habits, car- 

 ing little whether it is high and dry or 

 submerged ten feet ; its large spreading 

 foliage, enabling it to absorb more hy- 

 drogen and give off more oxygen gases ; 

 its neat and pretty way of lifting its 

 leaves partially above the water on stiff 

 petioles, which defend the brood-nests 

 and minnows that cluster by the mil- 

 lion beneath tliis aquatic grove, and you 

 have a plant that makes a specialty of 

 every point that could be desired. 



G. B. M. 



