1898.] ESSAYS. 115 



burn in the temples of India before Idols. The root-stock and 

 seeds are eaten as food in China, India, and Australia, and 

 medicinal qualities are assigned to the leaf-stalks. 



Ancient as the knowledge of aquatics is, the adaptability of 

 them for general culture is a recent acquirement. What is our 

 native Nymph;va odorata, or common white pond lily, was 

 introduced into England in 1786, although an English species, 

 Nymphrea alba, was known there long before. 



Many countries have their native lilies varying in color, size, 

 and appearance. Nearly all have an aromatic, delicate, and 

 pleasing odor. In some of the varieties, the flowers rest on 

 the water, while in others they stand above it. 



It may seem useless to some to go so far back into the past 

 concerning the subject in hand, but the more we know of the 

 history and native habitat of any plant the more we will be 

 interested in ministering to its natural requirements. 



In every advance movement in the world's history there is 

 always some great leader who has a desire to better existing 

 affairs, and to contribute to the world the results of his ambition. 

 Thus was it true in a marked degree with Mons. B. Latour 

 Marliac, the eminent French horticulturist ; with an inborn 

 desire for horticultural work he was a passionate admirer of all 

 the beauties of the garden, and the flora of the waters was his 

 favorite study. In 1879, he commenced his eflbrts in hybridiza- 

 tion, which were not rewarded with success at the start, but 

 later developments, based upon the lessons thus learned, brought 

 forth successful results. 



Nympha^a Marliacea Chromatella was one of his earliest 

 achievements and is today the standard yellow variety. Our 

 native Cape Cod Pond Lily, Nymphea odorata rosea, afforded 

 him a rich source of pleasure in his hybridization efforts, for it 

 became the progenitor of many valuable varieties. His happy 

 and prolific experiments in the hybridizing of Nympha^a have 

 given great pleasure to the horticultural world, vvho owe him a 

 debt of gratitude for these additions to our hardy garden flora, 

 which have both the large and noble forms and the soft and 

 lovely flowers of the Tropical Water Lilies. 



