ROYAL WATER-LILY. 63 



slake tank for its reception, twenty-two feet long by 

 twelve feet wide, and arranged in the following man- 

 ner: the central portion was made two feet six 

 inches deep, for the reception of the soil ; the re- 

 maining part, over which the leaves were to expand, 

 was only one foot deep, which has been found amply 

 sufficient. : At one end, and elevated above it, is 

 placed a cistern through which pass two-inch hot 

 water pipes, connected with a single one of the same 

 size descending from it and continued all round the 

 shallow part of the large tank below, whilst the 

 centre and deeper part is heated by a four-inch pipe 

 passing entirely round it. These pipes are all con- 

 nected with a boiler, which heated the building 

 before it was applied to its present purpose. That 

 this may be clearly understood, I will enter a little 

 more into detail : A large reservoir receives all 

 the rain water which falls on the glass erections in 

 this part of the gardens. From thence, it is pumped 

 up into a cistern which supplies the smallest one 

 placed above the tank in which the plant is growing; 

 thence, passing through a cock, it falls upon a small 

 wheel which, revolving gently, agitates the water, 

 and this, flowing towards a waste pipe, again finds 

 its way into the reservoir, from which it originally 

 came thus keeping up a continued and healthy cir- 

 culation. The water is kept at an equable tempera- 

 ture of about 85 degrees Fah. by the hot water pipes 

 arranged as before described. The soil in which the 



