69 
increased from seed, but many kinds are 
sterile, in others seed is slow in germin- 
ating, and the seedlings are so liable to 
degenerate that this way of increase is j 
not much followed. The flowers sink ! 
upon the third day, and, ripening under 
water, open half-way when mature to 
allow the seeds to escape. They are at 
first held together by a mass of jelly- 
like matter and float for several hours, 
and during this time may be skimmed 
from the surface and sown at once in 
pans of mud. Care must be , 
taken not to disturb the soil 
when adding water, and if 
placed in a warm and sunny 
corner the seedlings are not 
long in starting. 
Though free from 
Pests, 
many enemies oi 
the garden, the Nymphaeas 
have foes of their own which 
must be held in check. 
Weeds must be kept under, 
such things as the Water 
Starwort and Floating Pond 
Weed giving trouble, the last 
pest with its brittle roots be- 
ing especially diflicult to get 
out. A thick coat of floating 
weeds, not only chokes the 
Lilies, but may keep the wa- 
ter too cold. In early summer the 
grubs of the caddis-fly gnaw the young 
leaves and stems, and water snails so 
load them with eggs as to cause curling 
and distortion, but as a rule the plants 
outgrow these troubles with the warmer 
days, and have more to fear from rats 
and water-fowl when in full bloom. In 
small ponds these may be kept under, 
but in larger sheets of water they often 
do harm, gnawing the buds before they 
open and even carrying them ofl^ to 
build their nests. Green-fly also ap- 
pears upon the leaves and flowers above 
water, and grubs of various kinds attack 
them, but spraying with a weak solution 
oi quassia will generally clear the emer- 
gent leaves and flowers, while a few 
drops of a mixture oi three parts of colza 
to one of paraiBn, will spread over the 
water and check the foe underneath. 
UiSH OF Cut Water-Lilil.-. 
^ ^ ^ If a water-garden is impos- 
sible, many of these charm- 
ing plants may still be grown in tanks 
or tubs, choosing kinds of the Layde- 
i^T/ section, and the forms of Nymphcea 
tetrag07ia. If in tubs, these should be 
as wide as possible and about 2 feet deep, 
allowing for soil and 12 to 15 inches 
ofwater,and are best sunk in the ground 
