548 The Victoria Regia at Springhrook. 



In a few weeks, our tank will be of that heat, when I expect 

 to realize as fine a crop of flowers as we have ever produced, 

 notwithstanding the almost universal prophecy that "the 

 plant must naturally soon exhaust itself" Though in the 

 low temperature I have mentioned, it blooms as it grows. A 

 bud on it now, at the time I am writing, will not probably 

 be in bloom for our exhibition next week, but it will not be 

 many days after. 



November 13th, 1852. 



We are glad to learn from Mr.. Meehan that the Victoria 

 lily is still luxuriating under his kindly treatment, and only 

 regret that we should have made any remark that would 

 imply that it is not now in as full vigor as ever. This, 

 however, Ave must attribute to a misunderstanding. When 

 in Philadelphia, in September, we had the pleasure of meeting 

 Mr. Cope, and inquired if his plant was about to flower, as 

 we had a great desire to see it and give some account of it ; 

 his reply was that " it would not bloom at present." We 

 inferred from this, that it had arrived at its greatest perfection, 

 and would not afl"ord another crop of blossoms as it already 

 had done ; the duration of the plant being not yet wholly 

 ascertained, some contending that it is only annual or biennial, 

 and hence we made the remark that it was in its decade, a 

 statement which we are the more happy to correct, coming 

 as it does from Mr. Meehan himself. 



In a letter to us, Mr. Cope states, that "though not in full 

 vigor, it is by no means in its decline ; and he thinks were 

 it possible to change the soil, that " next summer would 

 bring as fine flowers from the same plant as he has ever 

 had ; but owing to this difliculty, it will probably be found 

 most convenient to discard the old for a new plant. He will, 

 however, await patiently the fate of the old one in the nat- 

 ural way, before he abandons so great a pet." 



It is for this reason, that Mr. Cope would now, were he to 

 build again, make his tank 10 feet deep, in order to aff'ord 

 full scope for the roots of the plant for a great length of time. 

 This may be correct ; yet we are not certain how long the 



