294 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the name of Water-chestnuts, are eatable. It is sufficient to 

 throw them into the water in spring, when they will make a 

 good display without further trouble. Stratiotes abides also 

 forms very graceful groups of rosettes, which are like real Aloes. 

 The Aponogetons, with their oblong floating leaves, furnish 

 throughout the year a constant succession of lovely waxen and 

 sweet-smelling flowers, and they are the more worthy of taking 

 a place beside the Water-lilies, and of being particularly recom- 

 mended to aquaticulturists, as they have produced some splendid 

 varieties, with flowers and leaves brightly tinged with pink and 

 carmine, and much larger than those of the original type. These 

 charming varieties, not yet in commerce, are the object of the 

 greatest care at Temple-sur-Lot, and are destined by their hardi- 

 ness, which will allow them to grow without protection in 

 England, to play a prominent part amongst water plants from 

 the double point of view of the decoration of aquaria and for a 

 trade in cut flowers. It is to be noted that the Aponogeton is 

 the plant of ail others for growing in the running water of 

 springs, where it prospers to advantage, and flowers most freely 

 and without ceasing. 



The propagation of hybrid Water-lilies does not differ from 

 that of the original species, and is effected for the greater 

 number of varieties by the pulling to pieces of their stumps and 

 by the detachment of their tubers. Some individual plants, such 

 as N. Laydekeri rosea, do not give any offshoots, but this case 

 is a rare exception. Others bear seed, but the resulting plants 

 have always a tendency to degenerate and to revert to the 

 original type. To be certain of keeping the exact peculiarities of 

 each variety it is much better to have recourse to increasing 

 them by the division of their stumps. 



The planting of them can be carried on all through the 

 spring and summer, and presents no difficulty, as it only consists 

 in fixing them in the earth at the bottom of the basins. At 

 the same time it is as well to notice that when it is necessary 

 to alter entirely the planting of aquaria, it is better to under- 

 take it in good time, i.e. in April or May, so as not to keep 

 back the time of flowering too much. 



If you wish to obtain new varieties you must have recourse 

 to seed and to hybridisation. The method of sowing is quite 

 simple, It is only necessary to place the seeds in shallow 



