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LILY PARK, GEORGE B. MOULDER, PROPRIETOR, SMITHES GROVE, KY. 
Enemies. The Water Lily is proverbially a healthy plant, but has its enemies. Cattle or geese will totally 
destroy a lily pond. Turtles and craw fish cut oft* the young shoots of both leaves and flowers, and will eventually 
ruin the plants. Avoid them. Muskrats feed upon the roots of a number of lilies and should be destroyed with a 
gun or trapped as soon as discovered about a pond. Both green and black aphides gather on the young foliage of 
water lilies. Fish will keep them in check, or they may be sprayed with kerosene emulsion. Sometimes the Lotus 
is attacked by a leaf roller, (botis nelumbiis). Hand picking is the most effectual remedy for them, though they 
may be greatly checked by dusting hellebore on the leaves in the morning before the dew goes off. An abundance 
of sun fish or gold fish will prevent green slime and other algsea from accumulating in the water. They will also de¬ 
stroy the larvae of water snails. Should any fungous disease appear the prompt use of Bordeau mixture will check it. 
Construction of Ponds and Tanks. Choose the most natural place in your grounds for the pond, that the banks 
- may be planted and the whole landscape beautified. Give it an irregular outline and make any size desired. Each 
individual owner has his own method of excavating and disposing of the soil. The depth should be from 2 to 4 
feet. When the soil is gravelly or of a porous nature it may be necessary to plaster the pond with a heavy coat of 
stiff mud, but when the soil is of a clayey nature a good pounding with mauls or tramping with stock will make it 
retain water. It is well to consider a source of water supply and drainage before the work is begun. Tanks or 
Cement Basins are ponds finished off with artificial sides and bottoms. They may have a simple coat of cement 
plastered to the soil, for a temporary job, but for permanent work that is expected to endure the winters of the 
north the walls should be of brick or stone, and not less than a foot thick. 
