SOILS AND PLANTING OUT 47 



masonry, be they of whatever size or shape. 

 If this is done the strong-growing kinds will 

 not smother out the weak, and those which 

 naturally spread rapidly will stay within 

 proper limits. Lotus rhizomes may run 

 thirty or forty feet in a season if not restricted. 



Floating plants, like water hyacinth, must 

 be kept in place by means of floating wooden 

 pens made fast to stakes. The pen, which 

 should be made of inch-square or i x 2-inch 

 lumber, will soon be hidden by vegetation. 



Loose moveable boxes are satisfactory 

 because they not only allow the gardener to 

 walk through the pond with ease, but they 

 also permit the shifting of the various plants 

 according to their individual needs, thus 

 preventing the plants from becoming crowded. 

 Their use is of course not limited to concrete 

 ponds, for they can be employed equally in 

 deep natural or puddled ponds. Make the 

 boxes at least ten inches deep and two feet 

 square, placing them in position a few days 

 before planting. But in the case of small 

 plants, it will be found better to set the plants 



