WATER PLANTS— WATERSIDE PLANTS 407 



surface, but as the shoots gain strength they rise 2 and 3 feet above 

 the surface. 



Raising Plants from Seed. This is a very certain method of 

 increasing the supply of plants, not only for planting out the same 

 season, but as a convenient form in which to keep plants for sale. 

 The seeds have a very hard covering, and before putting them in 

 water this covering should be pierced either with the point of a 

 knife or by the aid of a file. A very small opening will suffice in 

 causing them to germinate in a few days. About the end of March 

 sow fairly thick in a shallow seed pan, sinking it about 6 inches be- 

 neath the surface in a warm tank. After the seedhngs have made 

 the first leaf put each in a 3-inch pot. They can be planted out of 

 these; or, if necessary, shift into 6-inch pots; in these they will pass 

 the Summer and in the Fall form one or more small tubers. 



Starting Dormant Tubers. Attempts to start the dormant 

 tubers of Nelumbiums after removal often result in disappointment. 

 The operation of digging them up and replanting has an effect upon 

 them sufficient to prevent their breaking into growth with the same 

 certainty that would have followed had they been left undisturbed. 

 Especially is it a risky performance to plant out the tubers early 

 in the season. It is well to let the tubers float on the surface of an 

 indoor tank, or tub, on which the sun has full play; they soon 

 begin to form roots quite freely, and when put out by the middle of 

 May or beginning of June, according to locality, they continue to 

 grow very luxuriantly, making even greater progress than those 

 which have succeeded in starting outside. 



Insect Enemies are not numerous; there is one moth, however, 

 which causes great trouble, especially in the vicinity of long estab- 

 lished colonies of the American species, N. luteum. This insect 

 deposits its eggs on the leaves, and on hatching the caterpillars at- 

 tack the outer edges principally, rolling the leaves inward as they 

 develop. Another favorite point of attack is the stem of the leaf. 

 Beginning at the top the caterpillar will eat out the interior part for 

 several inches. In large collections it is a serious matter to attempt 

 to combat this pest, but where there are only a few plants hand 

 picking will prevent them doing much injury. 



NYMPH^A (Pond LUy. Water Lily). When anything 

 Hke fair treatment is given most of the species and varieties of 

 Nymphaeas grow very rapidly and flower abundantly. There are 

 only one or two kinds which are backward in this respect, and 

 unfortunately they are the most handsome ones of the genus. N. 



