142 WATER-LILIES 



Duke of Devonshire's estate at Chatsworth, 

 England, on the eighth day of November, 

 1849, the first flower opened. During the 

 same year two other plants blossomed in 

 England, the one at Chiswick, the other at 

 the Royal Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, 

 London. The latter plant was under the 

 care of Mr. James Gurney, the veteran 

 water-lily grower subsequently of Shaw's 

 Garden, at St. Louis, Mo., and now the super- 

 intendent of Tower Grove Park in that city 

 where the annual displays of water-Ulies 

 have become famous. For him it was a 

 never-to-be-forgotten moment when Queen 

 Victoria, accompanied by the French Pres- 

 ident, later Napoleon IIL, came to view the 

 first flowering of the plant that had been 

 named in her honour. A few years later 

 seed was sent to America and the late Thomas 

 Meehan obtained a flowering plant in 1851, 

 in the gardens of Caleb Cope at Springbrook, 

 near Philadelphia, Pa. 



At the present time there are recognised 

 two distinct species of these giant water-Hlies. 



