2118 



NELUMBO 



NELUMBO 



2456. Metal fountain in Nelumbo form. 



and near the Great Lakes, N. lutea is found in abun- 

 dance, but it is scarce in the Middle Atlantic and eastern 

 states. When well established it is a magnificent plant, 

 and when in blossom it is a sight worth traveling miles 

 to see. 



Nelumbiums, with nympheas and other aquatic 

 plants, were among the few flowers known or culti- 

 vated by the ancients. No mention is made in history of 

 a yellow lotus prior to the discovery of America by 

 white men, but over four centuries ago it was well 



known to the In- 

 dians and culti- 

 vated by them in 

 the waters of the 

 Tennessee and 

 Cumberland riv- 

 ers, and was abun- 

 dant on the tribu- 

 taries of the Mis- 

 sissippi. It was 

 carried northward 

 and eastward by 

 the Indians, and 

 was established as 

 far east as Connec- 

 ticut. At the pres- 

 ent time (1914), 

 it is established 

 and cultivated in 

 most of the states 

 of the Union. 



The late Isaac 

 Buchanan re- 

 ceived tubers of 

 N. nucifera from 

 Japan, which were 

 planted in a 

 stream on Long Island, but there they perished. Later, 

 other efforts were made, and some tubers from the same 

 source were received and planted by Samuel Henshaw 

 in an artificial pond in the gardens of the late Mr. 

 Green, at New Brighton, Staten Island, New York, 

 where they grew most satisfactorily, some of the original 

 stock being still in evidence on the estate. 



About the same time E. D. Sturtevant, of Borden- 

 town, New Jersey, who had introduced a number of 

 tender water-lilies into commerce, and knowing of its 

 being grown in the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, made an 

 examination of the condition under which it existed 

 there and determined to experiment in the culture 

 at Bordentown, New Jersey. Roots were obtained 

 from Kew Gardens and afterward planted in shallow 

 water in a sheltered spot in a millpond near Bor- 

 dentown. Here the plant grew amazingly, and its suc- 

 cess and hardiness were fully established. From here 

 was disseminated the now famous Egyptian lotus, 

 Nelumbo nucifera, to all parts of the United States. 

 Several varieties have since then been introduced 

 from Japan, including white and delicately tinted vari- 

 eties, also deep rose, and double forms of both white 

 and rose. 



The cultivation of the nelumbium is of the simplest. 

 The roots or tubers should not be transplanted until 

 there is evidence of growth, as the tubers, being usu- 

 ally buried deep in the soil below the water and out of 

 the reach of frost, are not affected by the warm rays of 

 sunshine as early as nympheas and other terrestrial 

 plants. If nelumbiums are dug before they start into 

 growth, the tubers should be kept in a warm place or 

 planted where the temperature is such that growth will 

 begin at once. In the Middle Atlantic States and east- 

 ward and westward, May is the best time to transplant; 

 southward earlier. Tubers may be planted in shallow 

 water near the margin of the pond where it is intended 

 they shall grow. The tuber should be placed horizon- 

 tally in the soil, first making a little trench or opening 



to receive the same and covering with about 3 inches of 

 soil. Means must be employed to keep the tuber 

 securely in position and, if necessary, a stone or brick 

 laid over the tuber. When the season is late or cir- 

 cumstances delay the planting season until June, it 

 will be safer to secure plants in pots or tubs. These, 

 beside being somewhat advanced, will transplant with 

 a greater degree of certainty and more satisfactory 

 results. In artificial ponds a walled section should be 

 built to hold the soil and keep the roots within bounds. 

 The walls should have no corners at right angles ; where 

 there are such they should be rounded off, so that the 

 runners are not intercepted and crowded in bunches at 

 the corners. The natural soil and deposits in ponds are, 

 in most cases, all that is required for these plants. They 

 will flourish equally well in a stiff or tenacious soil, but 

 when grown in artificial ponds it is best to use a mix- 

 ture of two parts turfy loam and one part thoroughly 

 rotted cow-manure. Do not use fresh or green manure, 

 and when possible have sods cut in the fall and stacked 

 with the manure (in this case it may be fresh). In early 

 spring, have the same turned over two or three times 

 before using. Resort may be had to cultivation in tubs, 

 but the lotus being such a gross feeder, the result in 

 most cases is that the plants are starved into rest at an 

 early date. The leaves turn a sickly yellow and present a 

 sorry appearance, and in many cases produce no flowers. 

 If no other method can be adopted, then secure the 

 largest tubs possible and during the growing season use 

 liquid or artificial manure liberally. An excellent 

 method to grow nelumbiums under artificial condi- 

 tions is to excavate a hole 5 to 6 feet in diameter and 

 2J^ feet deep with slightly sloping sides. Have a 

 form in readiness to place inside the excavation, leav- 

 ing about 4 inches clear for concrete. The form can be 

 of light material, the size of the pool desired, so braced 

 as to hold the concrete in place until set. Place heavy 

 chicken wire netting in the opening for reinforcement 

 and secure in place when filling so as to be in the cen- 

 ter of wall. When finished, this makes an ideal pool 

 for nelumbiums or water-lilies, watertight and frost- 

 proof. Use two bags Portland cement, three wheel- 

 barrows of sand and five wheelbarrows gravel or finely 

 broken stone. 



It must be understood that while the nelumbiums are 

 hardy, they are so only as long as the tubers are out of 

 the reach of frost. The depth to which frost penetrates 

 the soil or water may be termed a dead-line. 



The tubers are farinaceous and edible, and are of con- 

 siderable market value in Japan, but a taste must first 

 be cultivated for them in the United States. The 

 muskrat, however, has developed a highly cultivated 

 taste for these sacred morsels, and it is necessary to 

 watch these animals lest they take up their abode near 

 ponds where the nelumbiums grow. There are now in 

 cultivation in the United States a dozen or more varie- 

 ties, including single and double forms, pure white to 

 deep rose, and yellow. 



As to insect pests, black-fly or black aphis is some- 

 times troublesome. The best remedy is the lady-bird 

 beetle and its larvae. Also spray with tobacco water. 

 The leaf-cutter, or roller, is prevalent in some sections, 

 and both young and old leaves are attacked, also the 

 stems of the leaves and flowers. These have their 

 natural enemies in the form of wasps and even sparrows, 

 and as no liquid insecticide can be used, only such as are 

 in the shape of a dry powder can be depended on. Paris 

 green, mixed with land plaster or plaster and powdered 

 slaked lime, is excellent, but dry hellebore in powder- 

 form, or slugshot applied by a powder bellows is the 

 best material to exterminate them. A borer in the leaf- 

 stalks sometimes does great damage, killing nearly all 

 the leaves, so that no blooms are made. Apply "slug- 

 shot" with a bellows. Sometimes the diseased leaves 

 are mowed off and destroyed, and a second growth may 

 escape the borers. \\r M . THICKER. 



