PARK AND CEMETERY. 
out over the stones as they were needed, the stones 
lifted and carrried into place, tire work being done 
RAISING THE SHAFT, ROCKEFELLER MONUMENT. 
by hand. The shaft was taken hold of near the apex 
and raised with the heavy end resting on the ground 
until an upright position was gained. It was then 
lifted and blocked up until it was high enough to 
clear the bases alreadyin place, when the derrick and 
shaft were moved directly over the seat of the shaft 
and it was lowered into place. The operations were 
carried out very successfully, all the calculations prov- 
ing to be correct, and the monument was complete. 
The above illustrations are valuable as showing 
the apparatus required in the erection of memorials 
of this description in a cemetery requiring great 
care and where space is limited. 
WATER LILIES— A RETROSPECT, 
The season just closed has been a remarkable 
one and much can be learned from year to year as 
no two seasons are just alike, as regards sunshine 
temperature, etc. Aquaticulture has made rapid 
strides and in all our parks and cemeteries with 
very few exceptions are to be seen Aquatic plants. 
The old fogyism that a water lily pond breeds ma- 
laria, mosquitoes, etc., has long since proved falla- 
cious, and is superceded by intelligent planting of 
I 89 
all such natural ponds with x^quatic plants as they 
are an omen of health and life giving properties in- 
stead of miasma, malarial fevers, ague, etc. Yes, 
it must be admitted that swampy ground and ma- 
larial spots, cannot only be made beautiful, pleas- 
ant and inviting but healthful, and the man who 
undertakes such work' is a philanthropist. 
By planting such ponds, it assists nature as by 
so doing. Aquatic plants oxygenate and purify the 
water just as much so in proportion as the leaves 
of trees and plants purify the air. With live plants 
in the water and suitable plants for boggy and 
swamp ground, etc,, it is easy to conceive how 
beneficial such work is in such a community, and 
how interesting and inviting such a picturesque 
lannscape is or will become under skillful general- 
ship; as I said before Aquaticulture is progressing 
rapidly and there is improvement all along the line. 
The addition of tender Aquatic plants has added 
largely to the already large class of suitable plants 
for the purpose and they well repay for the extra 
labor and time in caring for and replanting them 
annually. These plants have not supplanted the 
hardy varieties, for the latter are indispensable and 
take precedence, yet they have even made the hardy 
ones more popular by their novel features and colors, 
for what was lacking in the one, was supplied by 
the other. Their popularity is increasing every 
year as their culture is better understood and their 
great usefulness as decorative water plants become 
known. 
During the past season success has crowned the 
efforts of not a few who made an attempt at water- 
gardening, while again others have failed, and while 
it may be readily asked what was the cause of the 
failure it is more difficult to answer without know- 
ing the various conditions in any individual case. 
It may be that tender Nymphseas and Victorias 
have not been satisfactory; then there must be some ■ 
thing wrong or wanting or out of man’s ordaining 
in these cases, because there are reports from other 
sections that this has been the best season experi- 
enced. 
In New Jersey, the weather this past season has 
been about normal, but not so hot on the whole as 
last season. The tender Nymphreas, Victorias and 
the hardy varieties, have been very satisfactory. In 
fact the Victorias have been better than preceding 
years, especially V. Trickeri; yet this latter variety 
has failed to grow in some places, and in two or 
three where it was quite a success last season. The 
season must be to blame, yet how can we recon- 
cile these conflicting statements. Here in New Jer- 
sey it has been a success; in St. Louis a complete 
success. At penning, Wa-'hington, D. C., a plant 
of the Victoria Regia and V. Trickeri planted under 
