AQUARIUMS AND AQUATIC PLANTS. 
1!9 
rock-work, erected or constructed at Mr. Har- 
ford's, is the portrait of a clever bit of fancy 
by Mr. Roe, who has given much of his time 
to the consideration of hydraulics, as connected 
with garden scenery. It is executed on a 
small scale, and cost under a hundred pounds, 
though from our engraving it would almost 
seem to comprise a large space. It is, how- 
ever, peculiarly adapted for an aquarium and 
rock plants. There may be some extravagance 
in the design, but it is, nevertheless, a fair 
specimen of what could be done towards en- 
hancing the beauty of a garden. It is a pity 
so many places possessing every capacity for 
magnificent water scenery, and fountains in 
particular, should be suffered to exist without 
either, and that some of the most wealthy 
lords of the most extensive estates can hardly 
boast of a single bit of scenery worthy of the 
domain, or of the mansion, or of the owners 
and occupiers. Let us hope this taste is im- 
proving, and that the facilities now afforded 
by the means of supplying water may change 
the face of some of the dullest and most melan- 
choly of all the gentlemen's seats in the coun- 
try, and give them an appearance of life and 
animation. It is on this ground that we re- 
commend aquariums and rock-work, fountains 
and cascades ; and this sketch of all such sub- 
jects on a small scale will give a very good 
idea of what could be done where there are 
ample means, and the facilities of water-power 
on the spot. 
CULTURE OF HARDY AQUATICS. 
The culture of hardy aquatics, or water 
plants, is perhaps one of the simplest matters 
in the whole range of flower-gardening ; and 
when one or two principles are kept in view, 
it can hardly fail of being done successfully. 
The two principal of these are, to provide the 
roots with a portion of soil to grow in, and to 
place them at a depth beneath the surface of 
the water proportionate to the size and par- 
ticular habit of the individual plants. The 
natural habits of the species should also be 
imitated ; thus, those that grow up with long 
floating stems from the bottom of deep 
water, should be placed in the deepest parts 
of the artificial lake or rivulet, while the 
smaller kinds, and those which naturally grow 
on the margin, rather than in the midst of a 
piece of water, should have this borne in 
mind at the time of assigning them their 
position, 
For large pieces of water, a few only of 
the stronger kinds should be chosen, and 
these being appropriate in themselves from 
their noble, appearance, will produce a better 
effect by far, than the introduction of a more 
extensive but less discriminate selection. 
Among those which may be referred to as 
being peculiarly suited to such situations, are 
the Nymphaja alba, Nuphar lutea, Villarsia 
nymphoides, Iris pseud-acorus, Typha latifolia, 
Rumex Hydrolapathum, Alisma I'lantago, 
and some few others, according to taste. 
Where there are any projecting points of the 
bank, (especially if these are in any way 
connected with trees and shrubs on the 
adjoining ground,) such situations should be 
selected for the introduction of the upright 
growing water-plants, in groups of as great a 
number and as much variety of foliage and 
habit, as the connecting shrubs and ground 
may justify. Most of the upright growing 
kinds require to be kept near the edge, where 
the water is shallow ; and it may be desirable 
to introduce some of these occasionally in 
situations where there is no foliage on the 
banks, to serve as connecting links between 
the water-plants and those on land ; and when 
such is the case, they ought always to be 
placed in groups of three or four near toge- 
ther, and these not at regular distances, but 
disposed with an air of graceful negligence. 
In the case of smaller ponds, pools, and 
basins of water, where the space will of course 
be more contracted, it will be equally de- 
sirable to attend to the proper arrangement 
of the plants with respect to their depth in 
the water. In these cases, the margin of the 
water is usually regular, and therefore there 
is not the same scope for the display of 
artistical arrangement in planting ; but the 
principle of grouping, in contradistinction to 
that of dotting the plants at regular set in- 
tervals, ought still to be upheld. Where the 
sides of the pond consist of banks of earth, cut 
the face of the sloping part into three or 
four steps, as formerly recommended, and on 
these steps the plants can be ranged at plea- 
sure. In the case of still smaller basins or 
tanks, when the edge is of brick or stone, and 
the arrangement of steps has been omitted, 
the same end may be gained by means of bent 
iron hooks, of various lengths, fixed into the 
masonry, one end of which should form a loop 
into which the pot may be dropped and 
secured, and, by having these hooks of various 
lengths, the plants may be deposited at any 
desired depth. 
In planting, it will be sufficient, in the case 
of those placed in the deep water of the 
larger areas referred to, to envelope their 
roots at the. time of planting in a ball of 
Strongish loam-earth, principally for the pur- 
pose of adding sufficient weight to the plant to 
keep the root at the bottom ; the leaves will 
in due time make their way to the surface, 
and the plants will grow freely enough in the 
mud at the bottom. Those which are placed 
nearer the edge may be fixed in the mud 
either by the same process, or by making a 
