58 WATER-LILIES 



kept in water. For this purpose galvanised 

 iron tanks painted with red lead are best. 

 Tanks of wood may serve, but have a 

 tendency to leak. Besides, they are awkward 

 to handle. Copper tanks do not give good 

 results. A tank six feet long and four feet 

 broad, with a height of about nine inches 

 will be found most serviceable. These can be 

 obtained at a cost of from six to eight dollars. 

 The tanks must be flushed every day or two, 

 to remove any matter which might float on 

 the surface and prove injurious to the young 

 plants. 



As soon as a plant gets too big for its pot, 

 shift it into a size larger and continue to do 

 this up to 7-inch pots. Never let a plant 

 suff^er from need of shifting. Giving a plant 

 room and the best opportunities in early life, 

 will largely counteract the effects of adverse 

 conditions when it is older. This is a funda- 

 mental rule in water-lily growing which 

 never should be lost sight of by the grower. 

 It is all-important. 



For various reasons it may be impossible 



