How to Grow Water Lilies—continuea. 
shallow tanks 10 inches deep under clear glass, the water to be 
at a temperature of 70° to 80°. Under these conditions they 
will be extra large plants by planting time. 
The best results will be obtained when planted in the natural 
mud bed, but if the water is too deep, construct boxes four feet 
or more square and eighieen inches deep, and place these in the 
pond twelve inches below the surface of water. In artificial 
pends and cement basins cover the entire bottom with ten inches 
of soil, top-dressed with two inches of sand or gravel. If this 
cannot be done, use boxes or half-barrels filled with aquatic soil. 
In small tanks or ponds there should be from six to ten feet 
between each plant; in large ponds or lakes the best effects are 
ecured “by planting in groups of three or more plants of one 
Giaes to each group, allowing eighteen inches between each 
plant and from ten to twenty-five feet between each group, 
depending upon the size of the pond, location, ete. In planting 
Nympheeas, all that is necessary is to push the rhizomes into the 
soft mud, so that they will be merely covered, and it is a good 
precaution to place a stone on them until rooted, to keep them 
in place. When plaating dormant rhizomes, they should only 
be covered with from two to three inches of water until they 
have made their first floating leaf; then gradually increase the 
water as the plants grow. When planting in natural ponds 
where the depth of the water is not under control, it is 
advisable to start the rhi- 
zomes in boxes or tubs. 
After they have made one 
or two floating leaves trans- 
plant into their permanent 
positions. There are more 
failures caused by planting 
dormant rhizomes in deep 
water ten inches or over 
than from any other cause. 
Winter and Future 
Treatment. Hardy 
Nymphzeas and Nelumbiums 
need no care during the 
winter, provided the water 
is of sufficient depth so that 
it will not freeze to the 
crown of the plants. In ce- 
ment tanks drain off all the 
water and fill in with leaves 
or cover with boards and 
leaves or litter. Tubs may 
be wintered by emptying the 
water and removing to a cool 
-eellar or greenhouse, or they 
may be covered with leaves 
and soil in the gardenin such 
a manner that they will not 
treeze. If grown in tubs or boxes the plants should receive a 
top-dressing of bone meal at the rate of one pound to each plant, 
just as growth starts in spring. It should be distributed evenly 
over the surface of the soil, and a little sand or fine soil spread 
over all to keep it from floating away. The second spring after 
planting it will be advisable to transplant all such plants as have 
made a strong growth. This should be done by washing away 
most of the soil from the roots, removing all side growths and re- 
planting the strong roots into fresh soil as before. The side growths, 
if planted two or three together, will also make flowering plants the 
same season. Lilies which are grown in beds of soil or in natural 
ponds will be much benefited by an application in spring of 
Dried Blood manure, broadcasted on the surface of the water at 
the rate of one pound to every ten square feet of surface. Tender 
Nymphezeas require to be wintered in tubs or tanks in a green- 
house where a temperature of 60° is maintained. As strong 
plants are quite troublesome to winter, even under favorable con- 
ditions, we advise to leave them out and get new plants each season. 
Nelumbiums. ‘These are supplied in tubers, and should not 
be planted before May Ist. The treatment is the same as 
recommended for hardy Nymphzas, excepting that they do best 
when planted in mud or soil that is at least two feet deep and 
covered only with six inches of water. When planted with 
other aquatics there should be paftitions of brick or boards, so as 
te confine the tubers, otherwise they will soon take possession of | 
the entire pond. In planting, place the tubers horizontally in | 
the mud, so that the point will be merely covered. They are | 
Part oF ouR Exnipir oF Harpy Water LaiLies aT THE PAN-AMERICAN 
EXvosivion. 
gross feeders, and should have Dried Blood manure applied each 
spring, as suggested above. 
Victorias should not be planted in the open pond until after 
June 10th, unless the pond is sufficiently heated so that a tem- 
perature of 80° can be maintained, in which case the plants may 
be planted as early as May 10th. Each plant should have at 
least three cart-loads of aquatic soil for the roots. and 300 sq. tf. 
of water surface for the development of its leaves, and a depth of 
18 inches of water above the crown of the plant. In other 
respects their requirements are the same as recommended 
for tender Nymphzas. In growing Victorias from seed, sow 
Victoria Regia at any time between January 15th and April Ist, 
in pots or pans, using finely-sifted soil. Cover the seeds with 
one inch of soil and a slight dusting of sand. Submerge the 
pots so that they will be four inches below the surface of 
the water, the temperature of the water to be maintained at 
90° to 95°. After the seedlings have made two leaves, pot them 
singly into three-inch pots, using aquatic soil, and repot into 
larger pots as required. Seeds sown before February 15th 
should be in twelve-inch pots or pans by May 15th. The 
water temperature can be reduced to 80° after the first potting. 
To successfully germinate Victoria Trickeri, cut a small hole 
with the point of a sharp knife through the shell on the oppo- 
site side from where the germ is, sow and give the same treatment 
as recommended for Victoria 
Regia. Victoria Trickeri 
seed will germinate in water 
atatemperature from 70° to 
93°, and an atmospheric 
night temperature of 60° to 
65° will be sufficient for 
both varieties. To maintain 
as high atemperature as re- 
quired to germinate and grow 
Victorias, a metal tank is 
best. Thisshould be placed 
in as light a position and as 
near the glass as possible. 
Enclose it below with a 
wooden case and use a lamp 
or gas-jet to give the desired 
uniform heat. <All metal 
tanks, before being stocked 
with plants or seeds in pots, 
should have one inch of mud 
spread over the bottom. 
This prevents metals giving 
off injurious acids and gases. 
Submerged Plants. 
All tanks, ponds or lakes 
should have submerged plants 
growing in them to aerify the 
water, thereby keeping it pure and sweet. The best plants for 
this purpose are Anacharis canadensis gigantea, Cabomba 
viridifolia, Sagittaria natans and Vallisneria spiralis. These can 
be planted in water from six inches to two feet deep, 
Enemies. Greenfly and other insects on Nymphzas can be 
destroyed by a weak solution of kerosene emulsion applied only 
after sundown. Nelumbium caterpillars or borers can be kept in 
check and eventually exterminated by dusting the foliage once a 
week with slug shot. This should be applied early in the morn- 
ing before the dew has evaporated, otherwise the powder will not 
adheré to the foliage. Never use kerosene emulsion on Nelum- 
biums. Musk-rats, the worst of all aquatic enemies, are easily 
kept in check by steel rat-traps, set in their diving holes or about 
two inches under water, where their runs enter the pond. Have 
the chain fastened to a stake driven into the mud well out in the 
water, so that when the trap is sprung the rat will not be able to 
reach the bank, or it will escape. 
Fish. Fish should be in all ponds, from the smallest tub to 
the largest lake, as they will destroy all mosquito larve and other 
insects. In lily ponds gold fish are preferable, being both 
useful and ornamental, and, if fed regularly at one place and 
hour, they will soon become very tame, and will be found await- 
ing this expected meal, which may consist of a small quantity of 
rolled oats or cornmeal. A tub should have two fish in it, and 
twenty-five fish will be sufficient to stock a pond one hundred 
feet in diameter. 
An article on Growing Water Lilies from Seed is given on page 113, 
