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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  August, 
  1 
  907 
  

  

  • 
  N 
  ANCIENT 
  Egypt 
  there 
  were 
  three 
  varie- 
  

   ties 
  of 
  the 
  lotus: 
  the 
  sacred 
  lotus, 
  called 
  by 
  

   modern 
  writers 
  the 
  "rose 
  lily," 
  because 
  of 
  

   its 
  beautiful 
  pink 
  color; 
  the 
  sweet-scented 
  

   blue 
  lotus; 
  and 
  the 
  white. 
  The 
  seed 
  of 
  the 
  

   white 
  lotus, 
  called 
  the 
  "sacred 
  bean," 
  was 
  

   used 
  for 
  food 
  and 
  made 
  into 
  bread, 
  its 
  taste 
  

   being 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  sweet 
  almonds. 
  As 
  it 
  was 
  said 
  to 
  affect 
  the 
  

   memory 
  so 
  that 
  people 
  forgot 
  their 
  native 
  countries, 
  Homer 
  

   warned 
  his 
  countrymen 
  to 
  "abstain 
  from 
  beans." 
  

  

  The 
  Egyptians 
  gave 
  a 
  lotus 
  to 
  each 
  guest 
  at 
  festivals, 
  of- 
  

   fered 
  it 
  to 
  their 
  gods 
  in 
  religious 
  ceremonies, 
  and 
  painted 
  and 
  

   carved 
  its 
  form 
  upon 
  their 
  temples. 
  At 
  feasts 
  the 
  walls 
  were 
  

   decorated 
  with 
  the 
  lotus, 
  and 
  a 
  vase 
  of 
  the 
  fragrant 
  varieties 
  

   was 
  placed 
  on 
  a 
  table 
  before 
  the 
  giver 
  of 
  the 
  feast. 
  The 
  

   attendants 
  hung 
  necklaces 
  of 
  the 
  flower 
  on 
  the 
  neck 
  of 
  each 
  

   guest, 
  and 
  placed 
  a 
  wreath 
  on 
  his 
  head, 
  so 
  arranged 
  that 
  a 
  

   bud 
  or 
  cluster 
  of 
  blossoms 
  fell 
  exactly 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  

   forehead. 
  It 
  was 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  symbol 
  of 
  Life 
  by 
  the 
  peo- 
  

  

  ple 
  of 
  upper 
  Egypt. 
  The 
  seed 
  was 
  sown 
  by 
  wrapping 
  it 
  in 
  

   clay, 
  and 
  throwing 
  it 
  into 
  the 
  water. 
  The 
  words 
  "Cast 
  thy 
  

   bread 
  upon 
  the 
  waters 
  and 
  it 
  shall 
  return 
  to 
  thee 
  after 
  many 
  

   days" 
  refers 
  to 
  the 
  way 
  the 
  lotus 
  was 
  planted. 
  

  

  In 
  our 
  own 
  country, 
  also, 
  the 
  Indians 
  planted 
  the 
  lotus 
  and 
  

   used 
  the 
  roots 
  and 
  seed 
  for 
  food. 
  At 
  Sharpstown, 
  near 
  

   Woodstown, 
  N. 
  J., 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  is 
  a 
  

   millpond 
  belonging 
  to 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  M. 
  Oliphant. 
  It 
  runs 
  the 
  

   entire 
  western 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  town, 
  covering 
  between 
  fifteen 
  and 
  

   twenty 
  acres, 
  and 
  is 
  bordered 
  by 
  a 
  fine 
  grove 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  

   side. 
  It 
  is 
  filled 
  with 
  lotus 
  plants 
  the 
  Indians 
  set 
  out, 
  the 
  

   variety 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  N 
  elumbium 
  lutem. 
  The 
  blooms, 
  some 
  

   of 
  which 
  stand 
  five 
  feet 
  out 
  of 
  water, 
  measure 
  five 
  to 
  ten 
  

   inches 
  across, 
  and 
  are 
  a 
  beautiful 
  canary 
  yellow. 
  The 
  flowers 
  

   last 
  about 
  six 
  weeks, 
  from 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  July 
  till 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  

   September, 
  and 
  people 
  come 
  many 
  miles 
  while 
  they 
  are 
  in 
  

   season 
  to 
  see 
  this 
  superbly 
  beautiful 
  sheet 
  of 
  water 
  covered 
  

   with 
  blossoms. 
  The 
  plant 
  roots 
  are 
  very 
  deep 
  in 
  the 
  mud, 
  

   and 
  look 
  like 
  a 
  sweet 
  potato. 
  The 
  seed 
  pod 
  is 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  

  

  A 
  New 
  Hampshire 
  Water 
  Garden 
  of 
  Truly 
  

   Tropical 
  Effect 
  

  

  Pink 
  and 
  Yellow 
  Nymphaea 
  and 
  Water 
  Hyacinth 
  

   in 
  Cemented 
  Basin 
  

  

  