frequently, and the higher 



IS , and imbedded 

 e found this plant 

 e gigantic did the 



1 five inches and a half high, and the flower 



ind a quarte: 



who has seen this queen of water lilies at 

 :an appreciate the feelings of Schomburgh 

 when he beheld this wonderful plant for the first time in all the 

 beauty and novelty of its natural surroundings. 



When the existence of this wonderful lily became known to 

 the horticultural world, all were anxious to introduce it. The 

 first perfect seeds which reached England were collected by Mr. 

 Thomas Bridges, and were received at the Royal Gardens at Kew 

 in 1846. The result from these seeds was two plants, which met 

 an untimely end, after giving fair promise of success. Other at- 

 tempts were made at introduction, both from seeds and from 

 rootstocks, but all were unsuccessful. Finally, in 1849, seeds 

 were secured at Kew from parties at Georgetown, Demerara. 

 These arrived in excellent condition, and from them and several 

 other consignments from the same parties about fifty plants were 

 secured. One of these was sent to the famous gardens of the 

 Duke of Devonshire, at Chatsworth. Mr. Paxton, of horticul- 

 tural fame, was in charge of the gardens there, and to him be- 

 longs the honor of having flowered the Victoria regia in Europe 

 for the first time, the first flower bud beginning to expand on the 

 evening of November 8, 1849, marking the birth of this flower 

 into the world of horticulture. 



Now a word as to the enemies with which one must contend in 

 his water garden. There is no pleasure unmixed with alloy, and 

 the lover of aquatics cannot hope to escape this general law. He 

 will find enemies on all sides, and these must be met and con- 

 quered. Perhaps his worst foe will be the wily muskrat. He 

 may be caught in traps, or if too keen for this one may resort to 

 shooting. The rootstocks of these plants seem to be very en- 



