ON AQUATIC PLANTS. 907 



of the water will cause it to swell and float over; the sides, as 

 before stated, which would probably result in the loss of the 

 seeds. The seeds of many of the Nymphseas germinate quickly, 

 and if sown early in the spring and the seedlings are pricked 

 off as soon as they are large enough to handle, afterwards 

 transferred singly into pots filled with good, rich soil, 

 and the depth of water above their crowns increased as 

 the plants develop, they should form flowering plants before 

 the season is over. This remark particularly applies to the 

 stellata group, the seeds of which germinate in about a fortnight, 

 and, as the roots of the majority of them increase very slowly, 

 this is the quickest and best method of propagating them. The 

 seeds of the Lotus section require about double the time to 

 germinate, and, unless it is with a view to raising new sorts, they 

 are scarcely worth the trouble, as they all, as previously stated, 

 increase rapidly by means of tubers. Nelumbiums are easily 

 raised from seeds, the germination of which can be greatly 

 facilitated by carefully reducing the thickness of one side of the 

 hard outer covering of the seeds with a file, after which process 

 they will germinate in a few days : otherwise they will require 

 several weeks. They will also germinate in water placed in a 

 warm house, but this is not a better method than the preceding. 

 The seeds retain their vitality for a great length of time, owing 

 to the extreme hardness of their outer covering. 



If it is desired to grow a plant of the Royal Water Lily, 

 Victoria regia r with other Aquatics in a tank, as previously 

 described, this will necessarily require the central part of the 

 tank. In this case a pit should be formed in the centre about 

 i8in. in depth and large enough to contain from three to 

 four cart-loads of soil ; otherwise there would not be a sufficient 

 depth of water above the crown of the plant. Where a tank is 

 constructed especially for the cultivation of this Giant Lily of 

 the Amazon — and it well merits such accommodation — it may 

 be treated as an annual, and will then only occupy the tank from 

 the .spring till the autumn. The place can then be cleared out 

 and utilised for the reception of large specimen plant's, either 

 arranged in the tank or on a temporarily-constructed staging of 

 planks, supported at the sides and in the centre by trestles or 

 brick columns. It will also serve to accommodate tender plants 

 removed from their summer quarters out of doors, and thus be 

 rendered attractive throughout the winter months. 



To cultivate the Victoria satisfactorily it requires very liberal 

 treatment at. the roots, a large tank in which to grow, and the 

 temperature of the water to be kept at from 8odeg. to 85deg. 

 during the summer months. Although of perennial duration, it 

 is usually treated as an annual, and the ease with which seedlings 

 are raised where a temperature of 8sdeg. can be maintained 

 renders this practice, in most cases, the better and more 



