THE WATER-GARDEN 271 



again, you will contrive a second, lower, false wall, form- 

 ing a trench whose surface shall be covered by six inches 

 of water or so. Here you will have many pretty a)id 

 interesting things to grow, which would not enjoy the 

 greater depths that suit the robust Nymphaeas, and, at 

 the same time, want more abundant wet than they could 

 get in the marsh. Among these the Arrowroots stand 

 high, though personally I have never cared for any of 

 them. They are very free and vigorous, about a foot or 

 eighteen inches, with abundance of arrow-headed, glossy 

 leaves, and spikes of large, three-petalled white flowers, 

 whose general effect, despite their size, is dull and cold, 

 owing to the rather repellent shade of their white. They 

 have double forms, too, and at least one rare species, 

 vwntevideensis, with much more brilliant flowers, but un- 

 fortunately of rather doubtful hardiness. Sagittaria 

 japonica is the best ordinary one, better than our own 

 native Sagittaria palustris. Then come the Alismas, of 

 which our common native, AUsnia plantago, is a most 

 decorative plant, with big handsome leaves, like a horse- 

 radish, and tall, very graceful loose spires and showers of 

 innumerable tiny white flowers. This, unfortunately, is 

 a dreadful weed, and sows itself everywhere. On the 

 other hand, it does not spread or run, and is always easy 

 to uproot. Alisma natans is a vei-y elfin little dainty 

 water plant, absolutely aquatic, and a great rarity, occur- 

 ring here and there in our mountain lakes of Ireland 

 and the West. The stems of this are so fine as to be 

 invisible. Over the water lie little round leaves of 

 glossy green, and big white flowers, three-petalled, that 

 seem to float detached, loose jewels on the surface. 

 Similar is Hydrocharis Morsus-Ranac, but commoner, 

 larger in growth, and altogether less brilliant. Rare in 

 the marshes of East Anglia is the water- Aloe, Stratiotes 

 aloeides, exactly like a thorny, submerged aloe, with 



