Aquatic and Semi-Aquatic Plants. Si 



Nymphsea caerulea and N. Lotus The Egyptian 

 Water Lilies. These plants are found growing wild in 

 many of the water-courses of the country, particularly 

 in those near the railway at Kafr Dowar. The 

 bulbs should be obtained early in February, before 

 the new leaves appear, and planted in baskets or in 

 pots. If in the latter, care should be taken to have 

 a large hole at the bottom and plenty of drainage, 

 or the soil will quickly become sour. Nile mud and 

 sand is the best compost for potting them, and the 

 plants should be stood a foot below the surface of 

 the water. They will soon begin to make new 

 leaves, which will float on the surface, and the flowers, 

 which are delightfully fragrant in the morning, are blue 

 with yellow centres, and begin to appear in May and 

 continuing throughout the summer. 



N. pubescens, N. rubra, N. stellata var. zanzibarensis, 

 and others might also be grown, either from seed 

 or from bulbs. The latter is perhaps the best and 

 surest way of raising them, and the bulbs travel 

 well if packed in damp moss. The advantage of 

 planting aquatics in baskets is that by the free circu- 

 lation of the water the soil is less liable to become 

 sour, and if supported between large stones the roots 

 become firmly established before the basket rots. 



Bichardia aethiopica Calla. The Arum or Lily of 

 the Nile can either be grown as an aquatic in water 

 or in moist beds of Nile mud and manure, little or 

 no sand being used. It is propagated by offsets of 

 the bulbs, which grow into fine handsome plants, 

 flowering nearly all the year round, and reaching their 

 best about the fourth year. During^the summer, an 

 occasional watering of manure or soot water will 

 greatly benefit the plants, and the beds should also 

 have a dressing of manure early in the spring. The 

 Arum Lily has a good effect when planted in water- 

 courses or any damp places with Calla maculata, 

 Myosotis palustris (Forget - Me - Not), and Iris 

 germanica. 



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