CULTURE OF WATER LILIES, ETC. 127 



table life called confervae, or green scum, which becomes 

 very unsightly and troublesome unless eradicated. As 

 the result of several years' experience, we are quite posi- 

 tive that, if abundance of Gold-fish are kept in the tank 

 or pond, there will be no trouble in this direction. Other 

 kinds of fish which are vegetarian in habit might, per- 

 haps, answer as well, but the German Carp is not to be 

 recommended for tanks kept solely for the choicer varie- 

 ties of acquatics, on account of their propensity for root- 

 ing in the mud and feeding upon the fibrous roots which 

 proceed from the rhizomes of the Lilies. Should it be 

 determined to keep a few German Carp in the Lily Gar- 

 den, it will be necessary to place whole pieces of roofing- 

 slate or large pebbles on the soil around the crowns of 

 the tender Nymphaeas. 



Innumerable kinds of aquatic insects breed in the 

 water, and some of their larvae prey upon the leaves of 

 the Lilies, but the common water-snail is the greatest 

 enemy of aquatic plants. The Gold-fish assist very 

 materially in destroying these larvae and snails, but we 

 have found a complete preventive of injury to the foli- 

 age from this source by keeping in the tank, in addition 

 to the Gold-fish, some of the common spotted Sun- 

 fish. They are carnivorous in habit and very alert and 

 active. Moreover, it is impossible for mosquitoes to 

 breed in a Water Lily basin in which abundance of the 

 above-named fish, or those of similar habit, are kept. 

 Thus one objection to locating these tanks or ponds in 

 the vicinity of the dwelling-house is removed. Their 

 beautiful appearance, and the ease with which they may 

 be taught to feed from the hand (though it must not be 

 done too frequently), make them charming adjuncts to 

 the Water Garden. If the tank is two feet or more in 

 depth, they can be left in it all winter with perfect safety 

 in this latitude. 



Sometimes, toward autumn, brown aphides, or plant 



