NOTES ON THE NEWER OR LESSER KNOWN WATER-LILIES. 30l 
Course, serve the same purpose, but it does not look so well. 
When a thaw sets in the protection is removed by the use of a 
rake before the ice disappears. During the last two winters and 
springs I have noted that some of the varieties have retained 
their foliage partially through those seasons. The undeveloped 
flower-buds even of some have kept their heads above water all 
the winter. Those showing these tendencies the most were the 
varieties of N. Marliacea and N. odorata sulphured , as well as its 
larger form. Even our London fogs did not appear to have 
much effect upon what was above water (below water the dense 
deposit of soot would no doubt be an advantage when absorbed). 
Position. 
The spot chosen for Water-lilies should not be shaded by 
trees so as to affect the growth. In these places the water is 
relatively cooler at times. I noted this in adding two varieties 
in the spring of 1897, which, for want of a better place at the 
time, were put too much under the shade of a copper beech. I 
can plainly see that they will have to be moved to a more open 
position, as no satisfactory increase in vigour is evident. An 
open, sunny place, where the water is warmed during the day, 
is the best choice, and if not too far away from the land it 
will be all the better, so as to be able to remove any sticks or 
other floating matter, as weeds, without in every case having to 
enter the water. (When this is done we use long waterproof 
wading boots, which for cutting the blooms are a great 
convenience.) The smaller varieties, too, are seen to better 
advantage when nearer the sides, where they can be looked down 
upon. We make thus far three various grades of our varieties: 
the robust growers for the deepest water needed, which would be 
from 18 inches to 2 feet to the top of the crowns ; the smallest 
kinds have about 8 inches of water over them, and the medium 
growers from 1 foot to 15 inches. I do not think it is necessary, 
nor do I deem it advisable, to place them in deeper water than 
just quoted for each class of plant. 
I have no doubt whatever that a pond with a muddy bottom, 
say, as an instance, a foot or so deep, with a rich deposit of 
decaying vegetation, would be congenial to them. In our case, 
however, this does not occur at such a depth. There may be 
3 inches or 4 inches of mud, but not much more where our Lilies 
p 
