228 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



seed raised in Philadelphia, under circumstances of more heat, 

 with an equal if not a greater share of sunny bright weather, 

 thinking that the English seed might produce a plant better 

 able to withstand the cloudy and cold short days of winter. 

 This could be done in the house recently built for the pur- 

 pose, it having a double tank, the two being connected and 

 made into one, by a shallow superstructure for the leaves to 

 float and extend themselves, thus forming a surface of fifty 

 feet in length. 



The seeds from England were received and sown on the 

 1 1th of March. On the 1 1th of May one of them vegetated ; 

 the water in the tank being kept at a temperature of 80° to 

 90°. It grew with wonderful rapidity. The soil for this 

 plant was a compost of loamy sods, burned or baked, with 

 some old cow manure that had been under cover for several 

 years, and some charcoal in large pieces. This was formed 

 into a hill and the plant placed on the top, fourteen inches 

 under the surface of the water. This shallow planting was 

 intended as an experiment, the other tank being arranged to 

 grow one in deeper water. During June, July and August, 

 when we relied upon the sun for warming the water, the 

 effect of cloudy weather was evident. These three months 

 were as remarkably bright and clear, as the three winter 

 months just past had been dull and cloudy. Under these fa- 

 vorable circumstances, a leaf was produced every three days; 

 under cloudy skies and when the day's length became less, 

 the time required was extended to six, seven and eight days. 

 In November and December only three leaves were formed 

 in each month. 



Early in June a leaf bud (presumed to be the fourth, after 

 germination) was discovered near the surface of the water, 

 coming from an American ripened seed, sown four or five feet 

 deep, seven months previously. At this depth, the plant re- 

 quired longer time to perfect both leaves and flowers, never 

 taking less than five, and usually seven, eight and nine days. 

 The soil in this tank was formed one half of compost from a 

 grape border, rich in animal manure, bone dust and charcoal ; 

 the other half of charred sods and sand. 



