is Castalia Gladstoniana, with large flowers, said to be a variant 

 from Castalia alba, and introduced by Mr. Richardson, of Ohio. 



Belonging to the same family as the water lilies are the lotuses, 

 that from the Old World {Nelumbo Nelumbo, or N. nucifera), 

 and the representative from the New World {Nelumbo latea). 

 The former is frequently known as the Egyptian lotus, quite 

 another plant, and should more properly be called the Japanese 

 lotus. It was highly prized by the ancients, and was described 

 by Theophrastus as growing spontaneously along the Nile, al- 

 though not known to occur there at the present time. It is highly 

 prized by both the Chinese and Japanese, and many forms, dif- 

 fering in color, have originated through the latter people. It is 

 one of the most striking features of a water garden, its large pel- 

 tate leaves, with the luster of satin, standing well out of the water, 

 and swaying in every breath of air, presenting beautiful modula- 

 tions of green. The large flowers ranging in different forms from 

 the deepest pink to white, add a feature which must be wanting 

 if this flower is left out. It is perfectly hardy and spreads rapidly ; 

 in fact it must be checked if its natural enemy the muskrat does 

 not do this unasked, and sometimes too thoroughly. The 

 American lotus {Nelumbo luted) resembles its Japanese relative in 

 general habit, but is far less attractive, its yellow flowers being 

 eclipsed by its more showy rival. 



All of the lilies referred to above are of the hardy sort and will 

 withstand the rigors of our winters, of course with the natural 

 protection of the water around them. There is another large 

 class of water lilies which have been derived from species inhab- 



ing of the water, especially during the early summer and spring, 

 is of prime importance here, it is necessary to have constructed a 

 tank or pond in which the water supply may be controlled, and 

 the temperature raised considerably above that at which the hardy 

 sorts will thrive. The construction of such a tank or pond is 

 purely a mechanical process, and hardly enters into the scope of 

 this lecture. Provided with a proper tank or pond, however, 

 what shall we put into it in the shape of water lilies ? 



The tender water lilies available for this purpose are divided 



