144 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
means is taken to turn its course away from the“ pleas 
ure-grounds.” ratlierjhau to utilize it as one of nature’s 
choicest gifts for making a “ bit” of lovely scenery. 
The first step to be taken in preparing such a'body of 
water, as an ornamental feature in lawn or garden, is to 
ascertain the condition of its bottom, as the various 
plants to be introduced into it will not take root, either 
in a bed of stiff clay or on a strata of rocks: if, there¬ 
fore, the bottom is found covered with a depth of stone 
too great to admit of removal, sufficient soil must be 
spread over it to form safe anchorage for those aquatic 
plants requiring earth in which to root. This same 
course must be pursued where a deep bed of clay covers 
the bottom, but in many cases such clay bottoms may 
be “dragged” by means of huge hoes or “scrapers.” 
On the prairies of the West there are in many localities 
broad rolling pieces of ground, through the lowest parts 
of which large ponds will form, occasioned by the wash¬ 
ing away of the rich light loam during the heavy rains, 
or perhaps by the overflowing of the rivers or their tribu¬ 
taries (“branches” as they are called). The ponds, if 
small, may be dug out and “scraped” until of proper 
dimensions, and the “ brauches,” if clogged and choked 
by the debris washed into them during the rapid flow 
of water, should have an impromptu dam built across 
one end to hold the water securely while the operation 
of “dragging” is being carried on. Once the clearing 
has been effected, the water may again be turned in: 
or in case of a pond, allowed to refill with subsequent 
rains and showers, or by artificial means. 
The second step is the arrangement of the banks and 
rocks where nature has not formed a sufficient rural- 
looking scene. Indeed, these, “ water scenes ”are either 
of the natural or artificial class, the one formed almost 
entirely of those lovely pools and rills, “banks 
and braes,” that Dame Nature scatters throughout 
our beautiful land, or of the “rock work,” caves, 
caverns, and grottoes made to imitate nature, or perhaps 
some ruined work of art as a broken wall, gateway or 
arch. 
In building up artificial rock work to imitate natural 
cliffs and peaks, it is necessary, in order to produce pic¬ 
turesque effects, to introduce vines, trailing plants, 
mosses and evergreens, and that these may thrive as in 
nature, their roots must be able to reach the cool damp 
soil far down in the inmost recesses of the piled up 
rocks; indeed, a deep bed of rich light loam should form 
the foundation upon which the rocks are built, and into 
this the various earthen channels between the separate 
stones should lead and be connected, otherwise the 
plants of that class naturally delighting in moisture 
would dry out, and finally succumb to drought during 
the midsummer’s heated term. 
An appropriate form for such a pile of rocks is that 
that of a semi-circle, with the pond enclosed within the 
horns of the crescent. By carefully piling and grouping 
the rocks, deep dark spaces, rough and broken crevices 
and deep nooks are formed, in which shade-loving plants 
delight to grow. 
In a small city court-yard or country village-garden, a 
pleasing feature may be obtained by forming a minia¬ 
ture pond of this class in shape of a half-hogshead sunk 
into the ground, and filled with water in which a few 
gold-fish, newts, and other aquatic animals may find a 
congenial home and sport amid ,a few choice water 
plants, such as one or two Pond Lilies, some Vallisneria- 
spiralis, and Milfoil (Achilla iomeutosci) and a few bits 
of perforated rock, covered with Moss aud Moneywort 
(Lysimacliia Nummularia) jutting above the water. 
Encircling the tank at the back and partially on one 
side, a piece of well-made rock work will be an appro¬ 
priate and charming background. This entire arrange¬ 
ment should appear just, what it is. a piece of artificial 
work, a rock-bed and out-door aquarium, yet carrying 
out fully the distinctive principles of its kind ns a bit of 
ornamental gardening, by having its rock work built 
of natural stones, not of conglomerated masses of melted 
crockery or glassware, heterogenous collections of 
shells, pebbles and clinkers and bits of various marble 
and other mineral substances cemented together, and 
adorned with pots filled with any plants convenient, 
instead of those whose natural habitat is that of 
shade and moisture, and clinging to or creeping upon 
surfaces affording such protection and nourish¬ 
ment. 
The proper position for this rural ornament is the 
most remote and secluded comer of the lawn, and if 
possible screened by shrubbery, evergreens or even 
annual vines, allowed to grow without any (apparent) 
training or care on a quantity of brush, the fence or wall, 
or indeed to ramble at will on any material or ob¬ 
ject at hand. Where a more extensive water scene is 
admissable, the same principles regarding sound taste 
hold good. The water, whether a running stream or 
quiet lake or pond, is capable of surprisingly lovely 
effects as regards the water itself and the rockery about 
it. 
Where a sufficiently extensive piece of water will ad¬ 
mit of it, a pretty pleasure boat aud rustic boat-house, 
embowered in vines, make an appropriate addition to 
this scene, or a fishing-boat and a fishing-house on the 
bank furnished with seine, various other nets and fish- 
. ing, tackle, afford amusement for those fond of piscatorial 
pursuits, for such collections of water may be stocked 
with a variety of fish, care being used not to introduce 
those which swallow the mud upon the bottom, and by 
subsequently disgorging it keep the water constantly tur¬ 
bid and frequently killing the more delicate varieties of 
fish. 
The plants suitable for such a pond may be classed 
under four heads. The Submerged, those growing entire¬ 
ly under the water, of which we have the Water-Shield 
(Brasenia), Tape Grass (Vallisneria Spiralis )—both most 
interesting plants on account of their peculiar and curi¬ 
ous manner of propagation. This is by the breaking off 
of the male flower from the short stem connecting it 
with the root, the flower then floating about on the 
water until it comes in contact with a female flower, to 
which it will attach itself and remain affixed until fruc¬ 
tification has taken place, when the female flower coils 
itself into a long cork-screw like spiral, and drawing the 
seed-pod under the water remains there until the seed is 
fully ripe, when they settle down in the mud (like sen¬ 
tient things as it were), and remain there until the fol¬ 
lowing season. Another of this class of plants called 
the Water-Soldier (Stratiotes Aloides), is an exotic well 
worth obtaining on account of the beauty of its white 
feathery flowers, which, springing from the centre of a 
cluster of long spiked Aloe-like leaves, float upon the 
water like so many waving plumes, the leaves remaining 
submerged and the flowers alone appearing upon the 
surface of the water. 
