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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  25,  189s. 
varieties.  Others  have  been  planted  at  Gunnersbury  House  year  by 
year  since  that  time,  and  have  flourished  exceedingly,  not  one  having 
been  lost.  lhe  variety  referred  to  above  as  being  killed  by  the 
severity  of  the  winter  of  1894-95  is  N.  flava,  which  is  a  native  of 
Florida. 
1  he  position  chosen  for  Water  Lilies  must,  as  a  general  rule,  be 
fairly  well  exposed  to  the  sun.  The  water  in  which  they  are  to  grow 
will  thus  be  warmer  on  the  whole,  and  the  shade  of  trees  will  be 
avoided,  which  would  be  deleterious  in  its  effects  on  the  growth. 
However,  there  are  one  or  two  of  the  lesser  known  varieties  which 
flower  well  in  the  shade. 
The  water  itself  should  be  more  or  less  quiescent.  Running 
water  is  much  less  warm  than  still  water,  other  conditions  being 
equal.  It  may  be  observed  that  N.  alba  growing  in  our  native  streams 
does  not  flourish  in  places  where  the  water  is  running  rapidly,  but 
rather  in  back-waters  or  broad  reaches  where  the  water  is  comparatively 
quiet.  The  depth  may  vary  from  6  to  18  inches,  the  former  for 
miniature  varieties — e.g.  N.  pygmasa  helvola,  and  the  latter  for  the 
very  vigorous  ones  — e.g.  N.  Marliacea  albida.  In  greater  depth  than 
this  the  stronger  varieties  may  be  seen  to  flourish.  A  position  should 
be  selected,  if  possible,  where  the  bottom  is  covered  with  a  depth 
of  a  few  inches  of  pond  mud.  The  roots  luxuriate  in  this  as  soon  as 
they  reach  it. 
ater  Lilies  may  be  grown  with  success  in  tanks  and  fountain- 
basins.  Cultivated  in  this  way  they  are  a  most  interesting  feature  of 
the  gaiden  at  Burford  Lodge.  The  proceeding  is  quite  a  simple 
matter.  Once  planted  under  suitable  conditions  they  will  require 
no  further  attention  until  they  become  too  thick  and  require  dividing, 
unless  it  be  to  remove  pondweed  and  sticks,  which  may  have 
collected  round  them.  Waterfowl  and  water  rats  are  sometimes 
troublesome.  Picking  off  dead  blooms,  instead  of  allowing  the  seed  to 
ripen,  will  make  the  plants  flower  the  more  freely.  They  should  not, 
in  the  first  instance,  be  simply  dropped  into  the  water,  but  put  into 
baskets  with  plenty  of  soil,  and  then  sunk  into  the  desired  position. 
The  sides  of  the  baskets  must  be  woven  closely  enough  to  hold  the 
soil  well.  This  may  be  prepared  as  for  plants  in  pots,  good  loam  and 
decomposed  leaf  soil,  with  old  Mushroom  bed  refuse,  for  examp’e 
1’he  addition  of  some  road  grit,  and  a  free  use  of  bonemeal,  will  suit 
them  very  well.  The  plant  must  be  well  covered  with  soil ;  its  roots 
will  be  thus  protected.  They  will  at  once  grow  rapidly,  and  the  roots 
will  extend  through  the  basket  into  the  pond  mud  below. 
At  different  times  I  have  noted  these  new  hardy  varieties  in  the 
tanks  of  Lily  houses,  chiefly  in  botanic  gardens,  and  have  naturally 
compared  them  with  those  grown  in  the  open  air.  Whatever  the 
cause  may  be,  the  comparison  is  decidedly  in  favour  of  treating  them 
as  hardy  plants.  Out  of  doors  any  given  variety  grows  more  strongly, 
flowers  more  freely,  and  produces  larger  leaves  and  flowers.  The 
effect  on  the  colour  is  also  marked,  the  hothouse  making  it  paler 
and  less  attractive.  The  effect  seems  to  resemble  that  of  transferrin" 
an  Englishman  to  the  tropics. 
'lhe  period  of  flowering  is  extensive,  and  is  practically  co¬ 
terminous  with  the  summer  months.  Some  varieties  commence  to 
flower  even  before  the  end  of  May,  nearly  all  will  continue  into 
September,  and,  if  the  weather  is  favourable,  some  will  be  producing 
good  blooms  even  in  October.  They  are  at  their  best  in  July  and 
August,  and  will  at  this  period  sometimes  remain  open  until  six 
o’clock  or  later  in  the  evening.  To  secure  this  hot  sunshine  is  not 
necessary ;  it  rather  takes  place  when  the  weather  has  been  dull  and 
showery. 
It  is  perhaps  worthy  of  note  that  Water  Lilies  may  be  effectively 
used  as  cut  flowers.  If  the  cut  blooms  are  floated  in  a  large  vessel  or 
fountain,  with  their  own  foliag  ,  an  exceedingly  pretty  effect  is 
produced.  If  placed  in  plenty  of  fresh  water  they  will  thus  last  for 
several  days,  For  cutting  only  young  flowers  should  be  selected,  and 
it  it  is  desired  that  they  remain  open  in  the  evening,  the  outer  petals 
may  have  to  be  reflexed.  They  can  also  be  used  effectively  in  the 
base  of  an  epergne. 
Before  the  advent  of  the  new  varieties  of  Mons.  Latour-Marliac 
there  were  few  hardy  Nymphaeas  under  cultivation;  they  included 
that  well-known  and  beautiful  native  water  plant,  N.  alba,  its  variety 
N.  alba  rosea,  N.  pygmsea,  N.  odorata,  N.  odorata  rubra  (syn.  N.  o. 
rosea),  and  N.  tuberosa.  Concerning  the  latter  we  will  write  more 
particularly  before  proceeding  to  describe  the  newer  and  choicer 
kinds. 
N.  alba  is  too  popular  and  too  familiar  to  all  to  need  detailed 
description.  Its  leaves  are  deeply  cordate  and  glabrous,  in  colour  a 
rich  deep  green,  and  generally  6  to  9  inches  in  diameter.  The  flowers 
are  usually  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  are  quite  white  and  scent¬ 
less.  Their  size  is  about  4  or  5  inches  as  to  diameter,  but  when 
cultivated  in  rich  pond  mud  the  plant  grows  much  more  luxuriantly. 
Its  leaves  will  be  12  inches  in  diameter  and  its  flowers  more  than 
6  inches ;  the  leaves  will  be  borne  high  above  the  surface  of  the 
water,  coming  up  so  thickly  as  to  push  one  another  out  of  the  water; 
the  flowers  are  also  pushed  out  of  the  water,  but  not  so  high  as  the 
leaves,  and  are  consequently  hidden.  When  this  happens,  it  is 
necessary  to  break  up  the  groups  and  to  replant.  This  variety  is 
very  widely  distributed.  It  may  be  found  throughout  Britain, 
growing  in  slow  rivers,  and  in  lakes  or  any  still  water,  even  at 
considerable  elevations  above  the  sea  level  in  mountain  tarns ;  its  dis¬ 
tribution  extends  over  the  whole  of  Europe  and  Northern  and  Central 
Asia,  though  there  are  particular  localities  in  which  it  is  not  found. 
N.  alba  var.  rosea,  syn.  N.  Caspary,  is  a  rose-coloured  variety  of 
N.  alba.  It  is  found  growing  in  lakes  in  the  Scandinavian  peninsula, 
whence  it  was  introduced  to  this  country  about  a  generation  back.  It 
is  by  means  common,  and  does  not  spread  with  anything  like  the 
rapidity  of  N.  alba.  It  commences  growth  early,  and  is  one  of  the 
first  to  come  into  flower.  Its  colour  is  a  soft  rosy  pink,  and  the  size 
of  the  fully  developed  flower  is  much  less  than  that  of  the  white 
variety,  being  only  about  3  or  4  inches  across ;  neither  is  it  so 
free-flowering  as  one  would  desire.  It  is  very  distinct,  this 
characteristic  being  displayed  not  only  in  the  flower,  but  in  the 
period  at  which  the  plant  dies  down.  It  is  at  its  best  in  June,  and 
by  the  end  of  July  its  season  is  over  ;  no  more  flowers  are  produced, 
and  the  leaves  gradually  disappear  before  N.  odorata  sulphurea  is 
beginning  to  produce  its  first  flowers.  This  habit  seems  to  be  unique, 
occurring  only  in  this  variety. 
N.  tuberosa  is  a  variety  of  great  vigour,  producing  an  abundant 
quantity  of  white  flowers  8  inches  across,  and  very  puro  in  colour. 
The  habit,  foliage,  and  flowers  are  more  robust  than  even  in  the  case 
of  N.  alba,  and  the  exceeding  vigour  of  the  “Marliacea”  varieties 
has  probably  had  its  origin  here.  In  fact,  tuberosa  might  be 
substituted  for  Marliacea  in  the  names  in  this  section,  in  which 
case  they  would  be  called  N.  tuberosa  albida,  N.  t.  carnea,  and  so  on. 
It  takes  its  name  from  the  oblong  tubers,  which  are  borne  upon  the 
creeping  rootstock.  It  comes  from  the  north-eastern  part  of  the 
United  States  of  America. 
N.  I'YGMa:a  is  aptly  described  by  its  name,  “  pigmy.”  Its  small¬ 
ness  seems  to  increase  its  beauty;  it  is  truly  a  charming  variety. 
The  leaves  and  flowers  are  both  small ;  the  latter  are  white,  and  have 
a  comparatively  small  number  of  petals.  Its  attractiveness  is  increased 
by  a  pleasing  fragrance.  Its  native  habitat  is  China  and  Siberia, 
whence  it  was  introduced  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century. 
This,  and  its  yellow  variety  N.  pvgmtea  helvola,  are  well  adapted  for 
growing  in  small  pools  in  a  rockwork,  the  small  corners  of  a  fountain 
basin,  or  any  space  of  limited  dimensions. 
N.  Caroliniana  is  a  pale  pink  variety  from  North  America. 
N.  odorata  is  white,  sometimes  tinged  with  rose,  similar  to 
N.  alba,  but  smaller,  and  is  a  native  of  North  America.  It  has  not 
succeeled  very  well  here,  and  seems  to  be  a  shy  flowering  variety. 
In  lact,  this  is  a  characteristic  of  most  of  the  odorata  varieties. 
N.  odorata  minor,  or  pumila,  is  a  smaller  variety  of  the  preceding. 
It  is  of  slender  growth.  v 
N.  odorata  rubra,  syn.  N.  o.  rosea,  is  a  natural  rose-coloured 
variety  of  N.  odorata,  found  in  North  America,  and  is  known  as  the 
Cape  Cod  Water  Lily.  The  flowers  are  tinged  with  pink  in  a  pretty 
way,  and  the  colouration  is  quite  constant,  deepest  at  the  base  of  the 
