514 Cidtiire of ^e[\xmh\vxm specibsiim. 



lakes and pieces of water in gardens, not even suffering from the 

 severest cold in Pekin, was introduced into England in 1784', by 

 the celebrated Sir Joseph Banks, where, after being cultivated 

 for a long time, it was first flowered in 1797, by Mr. Liptard, at 

 Mile-end; and in ISOI-, the second time, at the well known and 

 celebrated Sir Charles Greville's, at Paddington, whence seeds 

 were imported to this garden. 



My first attempts at rearing these beautiful water-plants were 

 very unsuccessful for several years, although 1 followed the 

 English method. The seeds were put in leaden four-cornered 

 vessels, half-filled with the muddy slime from the river, and sunk 

 in a tan-bed. It is true they germinated, and even throve very 

 well throughout the summer, but the very strongest of them 

 perished in winter. I therefore concluded that, although these 

 plants require a hothouse in our climate, a tan-bed is not only 

 unnecessary, but even destructive. In order, therefore, to suc- 

 ceed in cultivating these splendid plants, so valuable on account 

 of their height, and the large shield-like form of their leaves, I 

 adopted the following method. As the seeds of these plants 

 germinate the best when they have been kept a long time (the 

 germinating power being very long retained), I took some that 

 had been kept several years, and after having gently opened them 

 at the point, so as to admit of the entrance of water to assist in 

 germination, I put them in a wide-mouthed glass, containing about 

 a quart of river water, and set it on the shelf very near the window. 

 When there was fine weather with sunshine, the seeds germinated 

 in the course of a fortnight or three weeks, but when the sun 

 does not shine, the glass may be sunk in the tan-bed, taking care, 

 however, that river water that has been standing in the house 

 be poured over it very frequently. As soon as the germ appears 

 over the glass, it ought to be taken out and planted. The first 

 pot chosen for this purpose should be a stock-gillyflower pot, 

 somewhat deep, with the hole at the bottom well stopped up, and 

 a layer of gravel and loam, of about 1 in. thick, put over it. 

 The pot is then half-filled with rich slimy mud, and the best 

 is that in which the common iVymphae^a alba and N. lutea grow. 

 The germinated plant is now put in rather near the edge of the 

 pot, and set on the shelf near the window, and the remaining 

 space in the pot is filled with the kind of water already mentioned. 

 It should remain thus without further treatment (except water 

 being poured over it from time to time) till winter, when it be- 

 gins to become dormant by degrees ; and as soon as this is the 

 case less water should be given, only so as to keep it in a moist 

 slimy condition ; and it should then be set at some distance from 

 the window, to pass the winter. About the beginning of March, 

 the germinating plant should be put in a larger and somewhat 

 deeper pot, prepared in the manner pi'escribed above ; great care 



