Flow to obtain tt. 95 
indeed this applies to most plants. The native species (V. alba) 
does best in Britain, but some of the introduced kinds will do 
very well in some waters, and amongst these are the sweet-scented 
water lily (JV. odorata) and the Cape water lily (Afonogeton 
distachyon), which is a little gem. 
There is a British plant which is very little known, being 
only found in a few localities, and which is both very pretty and 
useful in ponds. This is the fringed water lily (Villarsia 
nymphaoides), the leaves being small and varied in colour, from 
green to reddish brown, and the flowers yellow, and about the 
size of the common yellow cistus. It is very easily cultivated, 
and spreads more rapidly than the white lily (Vv. alba). 
The yellow water lily (Wuphar /utea) is a freer growing plant 
than JV. alba, and the leaves are larger and the flowers not so 
showy as those of its congener. It is, however, a very useful 
plant, and is easily cultivated where there is a good bed of soil 
into which it can strike its roots. 
Water lilies are easily planted in artificial ponds or lakes 
whilst the water is rising, but it sometimes becomes needful to 
introduce them into places which cannot be run dry. It is a very 
good plan in such cases to plant them in very light wicker 
baskets, and sink to the bottom of the lake. The basket will rot, 
but the lily will grow, and soon takes hold of the bottom. The 
simple tying of a stone to the roots is, however, sufficient to sink 
them, and they may then be gently pressed into the soil at the 
bottom by means of a pole, care being taken that the crown of the 
plant is uppermost. 
There are some plants which nature seems to have specially 
provided for the covering of pond or lake bottoms, and first 
among these is the lakewort (Lzttorella lacustris). This little 
plant will never become an annoyance anywhere. It only 
averages about three inches in height, and is very rarely found to 
exceed six inches—indeed, it only attains to this height when 
growing in peculiarly favourable places. I have found it 
occasionally reaching the latter dimensions, but only in some 
corner where the temperature and soil have both been specially 
favourable, and such instances are unusual. It is one of the most 
useful little plants that I know of in a lake or a pond, and soon 
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