300 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the same practice with other varieties since added to our collec- 

 tion as may be found necessary. I think at first when intro- 

 ducing these Water-lilies to any lake it is better to keep them 

 fairly close together. Thus they are more immediately under 

 personal observation, and if needful it is easier to protect them 

 from injury by water-fowl or other enemies. In the removal 

 alluded to I placed each stool into a round basket, such as plants 

 are packed in for transit. These suit the purpose admirably, as 

 the soil added is retained in close contact with the roots. If 

 merely dropped into the water there would be the possible chance 

 of the soil being washed away from the roots, and this is not 

 desirable. Our plan is to prepare the soil as for plants in pots. 

 We use fairly good loam and decomposed leaf-soil, with old 

 mushroom-bed manure (cow-manure would possibly be better). 

 Some road grit is added, and a rather free use is made of bone- 

 meal, which we find suits them very well. Each plant in this 

 way can be well covered with soil and its roots protected ; after- 

 wards, in due course, the roots will extend and the plants settle 

 down firmly. The advantage even then is apparent of placing 

 them in baskets, as the crowns are well elevated above the 

 bottom of the lake, being thereby easier to remove or for the 

 taking off of side growths for extension of stock. Should it be 

 found that any one variety needs to be in deeper water, or 

 vice versa, it is easier to remove them, during the first season at 

 least- 

 After my experience of the first winter, although I only lost 

 the one variety (N.flava), and that a comparatively tender one, 

 I deemed it advisable, as a little precaution, to afford a small 

 degree of protection. Most of us, no doubt, have noted that the 

 ice is often thinner, and not so safe for skating, where rushes are 

 growing. I took the hint from this, and duringthe following winters 

 (except the last one, when no such precaution was needed) 

 I have cut the tops of Typha latifolia (the large Reed Mace, 

 erroneously called the Bullrush) off close to the ice, and then 

 placed them over the crowns for the time being. This was done 

 as soon as the ice was safe enough to bear. It also served a 

 double purpose, as no skating over the crowns was then possible 

 with the prospect of an immersion upon them. This simple 

 protection serves the purpose well of preventing the ic6 from 

 thickening so much as where exposed. Long litter will, of 



