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PARK AND CEMETERY. 
Victorias, and to obtain more the bottom of the pit 
(which is 12 feet square) is excavated a foot deeper 
than the bottom of the pond. The walls of the pit 
are two feet high, thus being one foot above the 
bottom of the pond and one foot below. The pit 
contains one foot depth of rich compost, (summer 
rations for one plant.) The soil is the same 
as is used for all water lilies, two-thirds turfy 
loam, one-third rotten cow manure. At plant- 
ing time, early in May, the water is heated, 
or rather the pit is heated. As there is but one 
pipe, this is laid on the bottom of the pit, thus af- 
fording bottom heat as well as top heat. The 
heating is done by steam in this case, supplied 
by a near-by boiler that furnishes power for mach- 
inery and heating for a block of greenhouses. One 
I inch pipe is ample for the purpose. As there is 
no return pipe, the exhaust empties into the pit. 
The pipe crosses the pit diagonally and is covered 
over with a tile pipe, so as to allow the heated 
water to rise or circulate. It is necessary to have 
a valve to regulate the supply. Hot water will do 
equally as well as steam for heating, but more pip- 
ing will be necessary ; also a return pipe to the 
boiler, which would necessarily have to be below 
the pond or the pond of greater depth than above 
described. A frame, equal span, is placed on the 
brick wall, and hot-bed sashes are used for the cov- 
ering. Under such conditions the Victoria plants 
make rapid growth and arrive at maturity early in 
July, when, under ordinary conditions, it would 
only be safe to plant out where no artificial heat is 
applied. Then it would be several weeks before 
the plant arrived at maturity and the summer seas- 
on would be already on the wane, the days shorten- 
ing, and the time is gone before one can really en- 
joy the delights and pleasure of fully developed 
plants. 
The size and shape of the pond are immaterial, 
and different grounds have each their diversities, 
according to the section of country in which they 
may be located. 
Where natural water ponds exist, tender and 
hardy Nymphseas and Nelumbiums may be planted, 
but the Victoria should not be planted unless in a 
warm section of the country. It seems imperative 
that an artificial pond must be built wherein to grow 
the Victoria, so as to have proper control of the 
temperature of the water, especially at the early 
part of the season. The pond should be sheltered 
from strong winds, yet fully exposed to the sun- 
shine, and where trees and shrubs do not exist they 
should be planted at the earliest date possible. 
Ample room for inspection should be allowed, not 
omitting benches, especially under some shade 
trees. A continuous walk around the pond is ob- 
jectionable ; a circuitous walk which winds around 
clumps of shrubbery, ornamental grasses, Bamboos 
and hardy perennial plants is much more in har- 
mony, with openings near the edge of the pond, 
giving different views. This may not be suitable 
in all cases. A pond with ornamental coping will 
look better with no plants immediately next to it, 
but the best feature is that which approaches the 
most natural, and this feature is being more and 
more appreciated, as the beauty of nature makes 
its impress on the people. 
One of the most enjoyable visits to the tropical 
ponds is that made in the evening, when the whole 
is illuminated. The colors of the night-blooming 
Nymphmas are of a dazzling brilliancy, and as the 
Victorias are night-bloomers, opening their flowers 
at sunset, the atmosphere is laden with a rich per- 
fume which all vanishes with the approaching light 
of day, making it all the more attractive for an 
evening visit. Provision should be made for in- 
spection by electric light. 
From the foregoing one may naturally conclude 
that it is useless to attempt to grow the Victoria 
without artificial heat. This is exactly the case 
with regard to the varieties V. regia and V. Randii, 
but the variety V. Trickeri is entirely different in 
this respect. The seed will germinate readily in 
water ten to fifteen degrees lower than is necessary 
for the other varieties, and what is more singular, 
seed germinates readily in the open pond in the 
early summer — seed that has been out all winter. 
In the illustration, at left hand corner and immedi- 
iately in front, near the center, are to be seen sev- 
eral leaves of self-sown plants, with rims, at a very 
early stage. These plants produced flowers early 
in September, thus demonstrating that the Victoria, 
especially V. Trickeri, can be grown without arti- 
ficial heat. No plants are more easily grown, and 
none give larger returns for amount of time and 
labor spent on them. Provide the proper condi- 
tions and they will grow to the satisfaction of all 
concerned r f 
