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Nymphaeas may be cultivated successfully in tubs or barrels, 

 tanks or ponds as desired, but in all cases full sunshine is essential. 

 Whatever method of cultivation is practised, the corms must not be 

 planted deeply, 6 inches being sufficient for all. 



A good example of the injurious effects of deep planting was 

 seen in one of the Garden Lakes lately. Formerly Nymphaeas grew 

 luxuriantly therein, but owing to the silting up of the lake by soil 

 washed down by road drains, they gradually disappeared. Some few 

 weeks ago, 2 feet of mud was removed from the bottom of the lake and 

 immediately the Nymphaeas started into growth again with renewed 

 vigour and seem to be none the worse of their premature burial. 



They require a rich soil i.e., one containing plenty of cow manure, 

 and greatly, benefit by occasional mulchings of the same material. 

 Perhaps the most successful method of cultivation for these plants is 

 to fill tubs with suitable soil, place the corms (if they are 

 very small and of the same variety) in a little sand in the centre of 

 the tub. This prevents the corm from rotting before they start into 

 growth. Sand to the depth of ^ inch may be sprinkled all 

 over the surface soil of the tub which will prevent the straws con- 

 tained in the manure escaping and becoming unsightly. Submerge 

 the tubs in their permanent quarters and in a short time the tubers 

 will become active. 



If you are raising Nymphaeas from seed, place the seeds in small 

 pots using a light compost, submerging as many as possible of these 

 pots in a shallow tub or tank of water. Pot on as required using richer 

 soil for successive pottings until the plants are large enough to place 

 in tubs. 



Nymphaeas may also be lifted from a reserve pond or tank and 

 planted in the existing soil composing the bottom of the lake, but 

 they benefit greatly by the addition of some manure to such soil. 

 They do not seem to require any resting period in this part of the 

 world. 



Propagation by seeds and division of corms. 



There are many species of Nymphaeas but the following is a list 

 of the choicer ones suitable for this neighbourhood, not including 

 all of the many new hybrids lately raised by lovers of this class of 

 plants. 



N. Lotus or "Egyptian Lotus " is one of the ancient Egyptian 

 flowers sacred to Isis and were sometimes engraven on their very 

 ancients coins. It is distributed throu j;hout the Tropics of the Old 

 World and in India it is spoken of as the " Queen of Indian 

 Flowers." 



Flowers large, white or red, with the sepals red at the margias. 

 Leaves peltate and sharply serrated. 



