GREAT WHITE WATER-LILY. 91 



solely to the stubborn nature of Water-Lilies, and 

 the difficulty of transplanting them from their na- 

 tive waters. 



To insure the success of the Great White Water- 

 Lily, its large size requires that it should occupy a 

 pond of, at least, three or four feet in depth, and 

 have, likewise, plenty of surface room for the ex- 

 pansion of its wide-spreading foliage, which loses 

 much of its beauty when cramped into small space. 

 The piece of water should be freely exposed morn- 

 ing, mid-day, and afternoon to the full influence 

 of the sun, the arboreous shade, apparently, prov- 

 ing prejudicial to the entire race of Water-Lilies, 

 and preventing the maturation of their blossoms. 

 It has been observed that the present species, in its 

 natural habitats, occurs most frequently in those 

 lakes from which a stream issues, and whose waters, 

 thus kept in slight motion, and constantly though 

 gradually renewed, are clear and free from the filth 

 of stagnation. This condition should be carefully 

 imitated in the formation of an out-of-door aqua- 

 rium, as in its absence successful cultivation cannot 

 be expected. We have already mentioned that Mr 

 Paxton, very sensible of the importance of imitating 

 the natural conditions of the Victoria, kept a con- 

 tinual flow of warm water into the pond, the water, 

 in entering, being made to fall upon a small wheel 

 fixed at the edge of the pond and touching the 

 water, and the wheel being thus moved communi- 



