February 18, 1891.] 



Garden and Forest. 



79 



It is a robust grower, flowering freely the entire season, with 

 a beautiful flower, with broad petals of a light yellow 

 color, and bright orange stamens. It is a great acquisi- 

 tion. These require no protection in winter, but to save the 

 masonry-work of a tank leaves or evergreen branches or 

 other litter may be used to cover the edges. All tropical 



mass. In either case it requires a good rich soil and moisture. 

 It forms a beautiful contrast to the deep green and metallic 

 shades of Cannas. This plant and the Egyptian Lotus have a 

 very remote antiquity, and figure constantly as sacred plants 

 in early Egyptian art. Both were very useful aside from their 

 ceremonial and religious uses, the Papyrus furnishing the 



Fig. J7 — Forsythia suspensa trained on a Porch at Wel'esley. — See ]>age 74. 



Nymphaeas can be grown in the same tanks, either planted 

 out or grown in tubs, plunged in the tank, but these cannot be 

 safely planted till June, and must be taken out in the fall and 

 protected in a greenhouse. 



The Egyptian Papyrus is another very interesting plant, 

 either to grow in water or to plant in a border grouped in a 



material for paper and ropes, of which samples are found in 

 the Egyptian tombs. The Lotus-seeds were eaten and the 

 roots cooked as we cook potatoes. The Japanese and Chinese 

 to-day plant the Lotus in the fields after the rice has been 

 harvested and use the roots as food. There is a tradi- 

 tion that the American Indians used both the seeds and 



