NOTES ON THE NEWER OR LESSER KNOWN WATER-LILIES. 807 
Hybridisation and Propagation from Seed. 
Thus far I have not done much in the way of hybridising, 
and that only during the summer just ended. With this object 
in view, I have made the culture of N. stellata a special feature, 
in order to cross it with the hardy varieties, if possible, hoping 
to obtain by so doing some distinct addition that may be grown 
in the open water, or practically a hardy blue variety. Whether 
I shall in any way succeed remains to be proved. With the 
others I hope also, at any rate, to make an attempt, if only from 
the point of interest as regards the behaviour of the seedlings. 
Seed has, I know, been sent home from Norway, and if that be 
good seed I see no reason why we should not save seed here 
also. It would be a boon if we could save seed here from some of 
the choicest hybrids, which are even still too scarce. Seed has, 
so I have been informed, been saved in some instances already, 
and the seedlings in one instance have appeared. How long it 
may be before any English-raised seedlings come into flower I 
am unable to say at present. I believe in one instance they have 
come up quite spontaneously from self-sown seed; this, even in 
itself, is interesting, and the result should be watched with con¬ 
siderable expectations for any variation that may arise. 
Varieties. 
I have thus far alluded to some of the earlier and still better 
known varieties of these handsome water plants, and I hope that 
when these remarks are read they may be the means of others 
entering upon their cultivation. I have at Gunnersbury the 
following varieties or species under cultivation, viz.— 
N. alba , a species well known to all of us, and one well 
worthy of all that can be said in its favour. I would add, how¬ 
ever, that where it thrives vigorously, as it does with us, it 
requires to be broken up occasionally, otherwise it becomes too 
dense for the flowers to be seen as they should be. 
N. alba-rosea , also known as N. Casjpary, has not much in 
common with the foregoing. It does not produce offsets so 
freely, being more disposed to keep to one crown ; at least, such 
has been my experience of it. It is one of the very earliest to 
grow, and, as afore stated, to flower. In colour it is a soft rosy 
pink, and in size rather smaller than the type, compared "with 
which also it is not so profuse in flowering, but nevertheless a 
