874 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



A supply of water might be laid on by means of pipes, to 

 which a valve should be fitted, so that the volume of water 

 entering the tank may be 'regulated. The higher the mean 

 temperature at which the water can be maintained in the tank 

 the more generally beneficial will it be for the plants. Only 

 sufficient fresh water need be allowed to enter to prevent stag- 

 nation. An efficient outlet is also a necessity, and this should 

 be situated at the intended water-level line to prevent any 

 appreciable fluctuation. In favour of tanks it may be urged, 

 without in any way depreciating the value of ponds, that they 

 afford better facilities for more closely viewing the beauty of the 

 Water Lilies than is the case when the plants are situated in 

 large pieces of water. 



Ordinary tanks or fountain basins, where they already exist, if 

 of sufficient depth and dimensions, as previously stated, would be 

 available, although their stiff, artificial appearance makes them 

 less- pleasing to the eye in comparison with those which are 

 designed on more natural lines. In the case of fountain basins 

 choice plants should not be allowed to occupy positions where 

 sprays of water would be continually falling upon them when 

 the fountain is playing. 



Planting. — Before planting a naturally-formed piece of water 

 it will be obvious that precautions should be taken to effectually 

 eradicate any coarse-growing vegetation that may have become 

 estabhshed therein, and which might prove detrimental to the 

 plants, or mar their eff'ect. In water of this description, where 

 a deposit of several inches of mud has accumulated, very little 

 difficulty will be occasioned in establishing the plants if due care 

 be taken to make their roots secure when the planting operation 

 is in progress. But should the bottom be of a gravelly nature, 

 or otherwise unsuitable to their requirements, then mounds of 

 soil, consisting of good, rich, heavy loam of a tenacious nature, 

 with about one-third of well-decomposed cow- or stable-manure, 

 to which a little leaf-soil might be added, although not absolutely 

 necessary, and the whole thoroughly incorporated, should be 

 deposited for their reception. This obser%'ation also applies to 

 the planting of artificial ponds, unless it be intended to grow 

 the plants in submerged tubs or boxes — a plan, however, which, 

 in respect to a pond of any large extent, cannot be recommended 

 as being more satisfactory than that of planting them out on 

 mounds. 



Where it is inconvenient or undesirable to lower the depth of 

 the water sufficiently to allow of the planting of Aquatics directly 

 into the mud, or mounds of soil, in which they are to grow, a 

 good method to adopt is to plant them firmly in similar soil to 

 that recommended above, in baskets about 2^ft. in diameter and 

 from 6in. to gin. deep — what are known as small nursery rounds 

 would answer the purpose. This operation should be performed 



