AQU 



AQU 



the bank. Your aquai-ium is now ready 

 for the water. Previously to filling it, 

 however, cover the bottom, upon the 

 clay, with a coating of loam, four inches 

 thick. This is intended to encourge the 

 water-plants to root in, and to cause them 

 to grow finely. If you can procure a 

 sufficient quantity of rough stones or 

 pebbles, place them against the banks. 

 These will prevent the water from wash- 

 ing away the clay-puddle. All being now 

 ready, let in the water. 



Planting. As soon as the aquarium is 

 full of water you may plant the aquatics. 

 The best mode is to have some wicker 

 baskets of various sizes, to suit the size 

 of each plant. Fill one with soil, in- 

 serting the plant intended for it at the 

 same time; cover the top of the soil 

 with some twisted haybands, coiling' them 

 round the plant ; then lace them firmly 

 down with some strong three-cord twine, 

 passing it under the rim of the wicker 

 basket, so as to keep in it the soil and 

 the plant. Throw either a plank or a 

 long ladder across the water. On this 

 you can walk, carrying the plant with 

 you. Drop it into the place you intend 

 it, for, and so treat all the other water 

 plants. Some of them the water-lily, 

 for instance have their leaves floating on 

 the surface ; but this is not needful at 

 first. They (the leaves) will scon rise 

 to the surface, and assume their natural 

 position. The water-violet has both its 

 roots and leaves floating ; all that is 

 required, then, is to cast it into the water, 

 and let it flourish as it pleases. 



Some of our readers may wish to have 

 aquatics cultivated in tanks formed with 

 masonry, the water to be used for water- 

 ing plants in pots, &c. This can be 

 easily accomplished by puddling the bot- 

 tom with clay, as mentioned above, and 

 building upon it sloping walls, using 

 Roman cement for mortar. These, if 

 well executed, are very ornamental, and 

 of a neat appearance. If the tank walls 

 are carried up three or four feet above 

 the level, the plants are then brought 

 nearer to the eye. An example of this 

 may be seen in the royal gardens at Kew. 

 Single plants of this kind may be culti- 

 vated in vases, or even in troughs, the 

 only thing they will require being a por- 

 tion of mud at the bottom for the plants 

 to root in. The after-culture the aqua- 

 tics will require is, if possible, to change 

 the water frequently, and keep the sur- 



face clear from water-mosses. A few 

 ducks soon clear off the latter; other- 

 wise the mosses must be skimmed, or 

 flooded off with water, if there is supply 

 enough. 



The following are some of the best 

 hardy aquatics : 



Ali'sma stratio'tis (water-soldier). native- 

 of Britain. 



Aponoge'ton dista'chyon (two-spiked 

 Apouogeton), a very pretty, floating 

 aquatic, frovi the Cape of Good Hope; 

 yet, althoug \ from a warm country, it is 

 sufficiently hardy to survive an ordinary 

 winter. It has white flowers. 



Bu'tomusiimbeUa'tus (Umbell-flowering 

 Bush), one of the best of our native 

 aquatics, found in ditches. It has beau- 

 tiful heads of pink flowers, and does not 

 require deep water; consequently, mjy 

 be planted ne:ir the edge of the wat/rt 

 Cattle are very fond of its leaves. 



Ca'lla palu'stris (Marsh Calla), a native 

 of North America, and 



Ca'lla JEt Ida' pica (African Calla), both 

 plants of great beauty. The latter is, on. 

 that account, cultivated as a greenhouse 

 and window plant, and is commonly 

 called the " arum plant." This specie^ 

 is rather tender, but will survive our 

 winter if planted in deep water. 



Hotlo'nia palu'stris (Marsh Hottonia). 

 flesh-coloured flowers: a native of Britain. 



Menya'nthes trifolia'ia (Three-leaved 

 Buckbean), with white flowers. This is 

 another native species, growing in shal- 

 low waters. It is very pretty, and worth 

 cultivation. 



Nu'phar In' tea (Yellow-flowered Nu- 

 phar), a fine water-plant, native ejf 

 Britain. 



Nu'phar a'dvena (Stranger Nuphar), 

 yellow and red; a fine species, from 

 North America. 



Nympha'a a'lba (White Water-Lily). 

 This is, without doubt, the finest of our 

 hardy water-plants. It loves dec-., water, 

 with plenty of room, and a muudy bot- 

 tom to root in. It then will produce 

 numbers of its beautiful, large, milk- 

 white flowers. 



Ty'pha lutifo'lia (Broad-leaved Cat's- 

 tail). Though not so showy as some 

 species, this plant is worth growing, pro - 

 ducing its large flowers abundantly in 

 shallow waters. 



Besides these there are Alisma plan- 

 tago ; A. ranunculoides ; Lobelia. Dort- 

 manna ; Myriojyhyllum spicatum and verti* 



