82 



AQUARIUM 



i made 



a most beautiful and interesting plant of a light green 

 color. The leaf is fau-shaped, composed of tilameuts 

 or ribs, much like a skeletonized leaf. Ludwigia Mn- 

 lertfii is also a beautiful plant, as well as a valuable 

 oxygenator, having dark green, glossy foliage, the 

 under side of the leaf bright red ValUsneria spiralis 

 IS the well known 

 eel grass Lvs. strap- 

 like root creeping 

 and ^spreading : fls. 

 strictly dicecious : 

 a veiy interesting: 

 plant m large Aqua- 

 riums Sagittariii 

 V /ta)i\ somewhat re 

 ml leh ValUsneria. 

 i r the lvs. are wider 

 11 1 n jt so long, of a 

 bright green color, 

 and it makes better 

 growth in winter, 

 which is very desirable. Myriophyllum verticilJatam : 

 lvs. pinnately parted into capillary divisions ; foliage 

 and stem of a bronzy green color. This, with M. keie- 

 rophyllum, as well as Oabomba, are sold by dealers in 

 bunches, but established plants are preferable for stock- 

 ing the Aquarium. The above plants are wholly sub- 

 merged, growing under the surface of the water, and 

 are of the most importance in the Aquarium. Another 

 submerged plant that does not require planting, and 

 Is sometimes used, is Stratiotes aloides, the water 

 soldier or water aloe. The young plants are very 

 pretty, but the large plants are stiff and the edges of 

 the lvs. are dangeroiis, being armed with spines. Nu- 

 merous floating plants are adapted to the Aquarium, 

 but too many must not be in evidence, or the fish may 

 become suffocated. The AzoUas are very pretty, and the 

 fish win occasional!)' eat the plants. The Salvinia is 

 another small plant often seen in the aquarium, but 

 under favorable conditions it grows very rapidly, and 

 forms a complete mat, which must be avoided. The Eu- 

 ropean and American frog's-bits {Limnohium Spongia, 

 Hydrocharis Morsns -ranee) are very attractive plants, 

 their long, silky roots reaching down in the water. The 

 water hyacinth, JSichhornia crassipes, var. major, in a 

 small state is a curious and pretty plant, but does not 

 continue long in a good condition, generally resulting 

 from too much shade and unnat- 

 ural conditions of atmosphere, a _p- 

 This plant is of benefit to the " ' 

 Aquarium in the breeding sea- 

 son, as the roots are receptacles 

 for fish spawn. The water 

 lettuce {Pistia Stratiofei^) is 

 another very attractive plant, 

 but it should be avoided except 

 where the water is kept warm. 

 William Thicker. 



Aquariums are rapidly in- 

 creasing in popularity for home 

 use, and are of great service in 

 nature study. The following 

 points, together with the illus- 

 trations, are taken from Life 

 in an Aquarium, Teachers' 

 Leaflet No. 11, published by the 

 College of Agriculture, Cornell 

 University, Ithaca, N. Y.: A 

 permanent Aquarium need not 

 be an expensive affair. The rec- 

 tangular ones are best if large 

 fishes are to be kept, but they 

 are not essential. A simple 

 home-made Aquarium of glass 

 and wood is described in Jack- 

 man's Nature Study, as follows 

 (the dimensions being slightly 

 altered): "Use an inch board 

 llK inches wide and 12 inches 

 long for the bottom, and two 

 boards of the same thickness 

 and length, 10% inches high, 



AQUATICS 



for the ends. Three-eighths of an inch from the edge 

 on either side, with a saw, make a groove ]4 inch deep 

 and wide enough to receive loosely double-strength 

 glass. Groove the end boards and fasten them to the 

 bottom with screws, so that the grooves will exactly 

 match. Partially fill the grooves with soft putty, or, 

 better, Aquarium cement, and press into each side a 

 pane of glass. By making the bottom board 11 14 inches 

 long, an ordinary 10 x 12 window pane will be the proper 

 size. When the glass is pressed to the bottom of the 

 groove, draw the two ends in at the top until the glass 

 is held firmly and then fasten them in place by narrow 

 strips of wood, one on each side of the tank, placed on 

 top of the glass and screwed to the end pieces. These 

 strips also protect the hands from injury while working 

 with the specimens in theAquarium. Before filling with 

 water, the inner surface of the bottom and ends should 

 be well rubbed with oil or paraf&ne and the grooves 

 inside the glass well packed with putty." After the box 

 is made it would be well to let it stand in water for a 

 day or two. The wooden sides will swell and tighten 

 the joints, and leakage will be less probable. 



AQUATICS, America is the most highly favored coun- 

 try in the world for the cultivation of Aquatic plants. 

 Collections can easily be made to furnish a display of 

 flowers from April to October in the open without arti- 

 ficial heat. 



All Aquatics require a rich soil, and this witliout limit, 

 a depth of water from 1 to 3 feet, and :uiiplr space to 

 spread their succulent leaves. In a natural jmnd. where 

 there is an accumulation of humus ovrrhiying a clayey 

 subsoil, nothing more is wanted, but on a sandy or 

 gravelly bottom it is necessary to place a layer of rich soil 

 12 to 18 inches deep. In artificial ponds, built of masonry 

 (Fig. 122), a layer of rich soil is nt-ct'ssary if the plants 

 are to be planted out, as is ln_-st fnr Nclumbiums. The 

 soil best suited for Aiinatics is a turfy loam, inclining 

 to heavy, and thoroughly rotted oow-manure, two parts 

 of the former to one of the latter, and, where possible, 

 it should be composted some time before using, and 

 turned over two or three times to thoroughly incorporate 

 the manure. When cow-manure can not be obtained, 

 other thoroughly rotted manure may be used. The next 

 best fertilizer is pulverized sheep manure, but, this being 

 less bulky and stronger in proportion, should not be used 

 as freely as other manures ; one part sheep manure to 



121. Working drawings for making box shown in Fig. 120. 



