of many of the aquatics, especially of the water-lilies, by looking 

 directly down into the flower. 



Fringing the pool on the right, as one enters from house 

 no. 10, are members of the sedge family, Cyperaceae, and on the 

 further end some of the grasses, Poaceae or Gramineae. The 

 corresponding area to the left is devoted entirely to the grasses, 

 including many ornamental bamboos. The sedge in the corner, 

 with the tall stems terminating in tassel-like tops, is the Egyptian 

 paper-plant, Cy perns Papyrus, said to be plentiful on marshy 

 river-banks in Abyssinia, Palestine and Sicily, but now almost 

 extinct in Egypt. It is supposed to be the bullrush used in 

 constructing the ark of Moses. It is the plant from which the 

 Egyptians, and through them the Romans and Greeks, secured 

 part of their writing material. This was prepared by first cutting 

 the central pith of the stems into longitudinal strips. A number 

 of such strips were laid side by side and another layer placed 

 across these at right angles. The two layers were then soaked in 

 water and pressed together to make them adhere, after which 

 they were dried, thus forming the papyrus of the ancients. The 

 documents found in the Egyptian tombs are said to have been 

 written on material of this kind. 



The umbrella-plant, Cypmis altcrnifolius, from Madagascar, 

 together with several other members of this genus, form decora- 

 tive features near by. Among the grasses on this side, the most 

 interesting, at least from an economic standpoint, is the sugar- 

 cane, Saccharum officinanim, and its more showy form, the variety 

 violacatm. Like many other plants which have been cultivated 

 for so long a time, its origin is veiled in obscurity, but it is sup- 

 posed to have come from tropical Asia. It is cultivated now in 

 all tropical countries, and in the warmer parts of our own land it 

 is a staple product. It seldom bears flowers in cultivation, being 



of the stems, or canes as they are called, are subjected to pressure. 

 By subsequent processes the sugar is separated from the ex- 

 pressed juice, the resulting product being known as raw sugar, 

 the brown sugar in common use. By further processes white 

 and granulated sugars are obtained from this. Rum, properly 



