\ iN ae Sd CeeATT hIN \ estat ${\ Xe = jf: * y\ NUS enki Uh Eat fi t ‘ « As i aT. as ae 9 Aihe S SS; at Al Neon a: ‘i a SOA Re s oe Wy —— ~ Wf Hi | ie ACA Notices from tlie LILY AND LOTUS. [From the Philadelphia Press, September 10th, 1882. | ‘ Bordentown, N. J., is the proud possessor of a Victoria regia in full bloom in the open air. It is the first specimen which has ever been known to live under similar circumstances in a northern latitude, and a large number of persons from far and near have visited the grounds of E. D. Sturtevant, where the royal aquatic plant is on view, and the many other attractions of the celebrated Jersey city have been entirely placed in the shade by the unique spectacle. Mr. Sturtevant has also succeeded in acclimatizing many other specimens of tropical water plants. In tanks about his grounds he possesses, perhaps, the rarest and most complete collection of Water Lilies ever witnessed in this country. He is quite an enthusiast in their culture, and understands all their habits, and willingly explained their many marvels and beauties to a Press reporter, who visited the exhibition yesterday. The Victoria regia was displayed in a large tank, measuring about thirty by twenty feet in length and width. The water was twoand a half feet deep. In the center, reposing lovingly by the side of a recently born leaf, was the Regia flower, a beautiful hemisphere of snowy-white petals, measuring twelve inches across. Surround- ing the flower were her leaves, five in number, perfectly round rafts of green, with upturned edges, and measuring six feet in diameter. The water side of the leaves is a network of veins and ribs armed with sharp thorns, and the whole structure of each leaf is so substantial that a boy of twelve might safely trust his weight upon one. ‘When the flower bud makes its appearance, it opens petal by petal, and the most delicious odor perfumes the air, which is perceptible at quite a distance. In the course of two days the flower becomes a mass of pink and yellow, and after remaining in that state for several hours it slowly folds its petals, droops its head beneath the water and dies. The next day a new bud arises from the water, and so on in constant succession until the middle of the Autumn. I believe this is the only instance of a Victoria regia ever having reached perfection in a northern climate in the open air, Naturalists and botanists have traveled from long distances to see this magnificent specimen in Mr. Sturtevant’s garden.” “The interior of the Metropolitan Concert Hall, at Broadway and Forty-fifth street, looked like a beautiful garden last evening, when the regular Autumn exhibition of the New York Horticultural Society was opened. The attendance of visitors was very large, and the display of flowers and fruits both extensive and beautiful. The managers them- selves were jubilant, declaring it to be the best display they had yet had. The chief feature of the entire display last evening was the collection of Water Lilies exhibited by E. D. Sturtevant. In addition to the regular prize, the committee awarded a special premumium to Mr. Sturtevant.”—New York Times, September 28th, 1880. ‘‘The wonderful display of rare Water Lilies, at Horticultural Hall, during yesterday and last evening, commanded the admiration of every one who visited the exhibition. Nymphwa Devoniensis, a scarlet Lily a foot across, and the mammoth Victoria regia, with leaves five feet in diameter, with an opening flower, were the principal features, though there are several other Lilies seldom shown.”—Boston Post, September 20th, 1883. “The Fifty-fifth Annual Exhibition of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society was opened at 3 P.M. yesterday, in the hall, on Tremont street.” * © *) SOB the display which attracted decidedly the most attention was a novel one at these exhi- bitions, that is, the immense leaves, fully as large as a cart-wheel, (to use a homely illus- “tration,) of the giant Water Lily, Victoria regia. This plant was grown by Mr. Edmund D. Sturtevant, of Bordentown, N. J. “In the upper hall an additional tank is placed, where the wonderful scarlet Water Lilies, or Nymphmas, are displayed. These flowers offer an exhibition, particularly at night, rarely to be witnesed in this country.” — Boston Herald, September 19th, 1883. “A QUATIOCS.—The grand show made at Fairmount Park, and particularly the exquisite display made by E. D. Sturtevant, at Horticultural Hall, at the meeting in Sep- _tember, have shown people how much pleasure these beautiful plants can give. Mr. Sturtevant had the famous Victoria regia, both in leaf and flower, giving pleasure by the sight of its huge and wonderfully-constructed leaves, and by the delicious fragrance the, flower cast around. Then there was the pink Lotus of the Egyptians, with its parasol- like leaves pushing up above the water, as if in rivalry of the handsome flowers. “Pond Lilies or Nympheas, scarlet, red white and blue, from different sections of the world, were blooming together, and the Water Soldier, a sort of marine grand army of flora, contributed its share of interest to hundreds of observers.’’— Editorial Notes in the Gardener's Monthly, December, 1583. CATALOGUE ——0F—— And other Choice Aquatic Plants, with Directions for their Culture. Also, a List of FOR SALE BY EDMUND D. STURTEVANT, CORNER OF FARNSWORTH AVENUE AND UNION STREET, BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY. TRENTON, N. J. MacCretiuisn & QuiciEy, Prinrers, No. 16 East Srate Street. 1885. The following are a few of the names which have been placed on our list of patrons during the last five years: Pror. Asa Gray, of Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Pror. Spencer F. Barrp, United States Fish Commissioner, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. C. H. Mitter, Esq., Superintendent Horticultural Hall, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pa. Directors oF ZodLocicat Society, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Pa. Pror. T. G. RicHarpson, University of Louisiana, New Orleans, La. CoMMISSIONERS OF GOLDEN GaTE Park, San Francisco, Cal. Directors oF OrpHAN AsyLuM, Lynchburg, Va. Hon. James ARKELL, Canajoharie, N. Y. L. H. Meyer, Esq., Staten Island, N. Y. , PieRRE LorRILLARD, Esq., New York. Gorey Toomas, M. D,, West Whiteland, Pa. A. Grippons, Esq., Coatesville, Pa. F. Lear Smitu, Esq., Reading, Pa. R, H. Warper, Esq., North Bend, Ohio, Dr. F. L. Yoaxum, Palestine, Texas. — Pror. FarrmMan Rocers, Newport, R. I. GrorGe R. Emmerton, Esq., Salem, Mass. Pror. W. J. Beau, Michigan Agricultural College. Mass. AGRICULTURAL CoLLEGE, Amherst, Mass. BoranicAL DEPARTMENT, CoRNELL University, Ithaca, N. Y. ~~ + Since the issue of the first edition of our catalogue, in the Spring of 1881, the interest in the culture of choice aquatic plants has steadily increased. We have received patronage from every State in the Union, and numerous letters indicate a growing enthusiasm in this direction. We have increased our facilities for growing to perfection our floral treasures, having built a basin fifty by thirty-six feet, and two and a half feet deep, which we have christened “ Our Water Lily Garden.” In it, of a Summer’s morning, could have been seen as many as fifty gorgeous blossoms of Nympheea Devoniensis open at one time, numerous other Water Lilies, representing nearly every color in the rainbow, and the Lotus, “delicious as the rose and stately as the lily in her pride,” altogether presenting a most charming spectacle. These, with the grand Victoria regia, successfully grown and flowered in an open-air tank by itself, have attracted to our garden a multitude of visitors from far and near. We are constantly adding choice varieties to our list, and intend to maintain our reputation for possessing the largest and most complete collection of aquatics in the country. We beg to assure our former patrons that we hope to give them many pleasant surprises in the not distant future. Many of our correspondents have expressed themselves highly gratified with the contents of our catalogue. This issue contains additional matter, not usually found in plant catalogues, which we trust our readers will find equally interesting. At the combined exhibitions of the American Pomological Society and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, held at Philadelphia, in September, 1883, we were awarded a special premium for a display of our Lilies. During the same month, by special invitation of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, we exhibited in Boston, and were awarded by them a Silver Medal for the New Purple Water Lily, and three other prizes, viz.: one for the “Victoria regia,” one for ““Nelumbium speciosum,” and one for “Nympheas in variety.” During July, August and September is the best time to see our collection. The bloom is most abundant in August. Bordentown is located on the Delaware river, six miles below Trenton, and may be reached at almost any hour of the day by trains from New York or Philadelphia. Our garden is located on the principal street of the town, and is only ten minutes’ walk from the station. es orders from unknown correspondents must be accompanied with the cash. N. B.—_No discount to the trade on the choicer varieties of aquatics except by special arrangement. Native kinds supplied to the trade in quantity at cheap rates. All plants are sent by express, unless specially ordered otherwise. This is by far the most satisfactory way. To remote points, including the Pacific coast, we will, whenever practicable, send by mail, post paid. As some kinds are too bulky to be sent thus, this matter must be largely left to our discretion. 4 Ek. D. STURTEVANT’S CATALOGUE. Hljmn fo the Flowers. [The following exquisite verses, from the pen of Horace Smith, are well worthy of republication and reperusal at least once a year :| Day-stars! that ope your eyes with man, to twinkle, From rainbow galaxies of earth’s crea- tion And dew-drops on her lonely altars sprinkle As a libation— Ye matin worshipers! who, bending lowly, Before the uprisen sun, God’s lidless eye, Throw from your chalices.a sweet and holy Incense on high ! Ye bright mosaics! that with storied beauty The floor of Nature’s temple tesselate, What num’rous emblems of instructive duty Your forms create! ’Neath clustered boughs, each floral bell that swingeth And tolls its perfume on the passing air, Makes Sabbath in the fields, and ever ringeth A call for prayer ! Not to the domes, where crumbling arch and column Attest the feebleness of mortal hand ; But to that fane most catholic and solemn, Which God hath planned— To that cathedral, boundless as our wonder, Whose quenchless lamps the sun and moon supply— Its choir the wind and waves—its organ thunder— Its dome the sky ! There, as in solitude and shade I wander Through the green isles, or stretched upon the sod, Awed by the silence, reverently ponder The ways of God— Your voiceles lips, O flowers, are living preachers, Each cup a pulpit, every leaf a book, Supplying to my fancy numerous teachers, From loneliest nook. Floral apostles ! that in dewy splendor “Weep without woe, and blush without a crime,” Oh! may I deeply learn and ne’er surrender Your lore sublime! “Thou wert not, Solomon, in all thy glory, Arrayed,” the lilies cry, “in robes like ours ; How vain your grandeur! ah! how transi- tory ; Are Human Flowers!” In the sweet-scented pictures, Heavenly Artist ! With which thou paintest Nature’s wide- spread hall, What a delightful lesson thou impartest Of love to all! Not useless are ye, flowers, though made for pleasure, Blooming o’er field and wave, by day and night; From every source your sanction bids me treasure Harmless delight ! Ephemeral sages! what instructors hoary For such a world of thought could fur- nish scope? Each fading calyx a memento mori, Yet fount of hope! Posthumous glories! angel-like collection, Upraised from seed or bulb interred in earth, Ye are to me a type of resurrection And second birth ! Were I, O God! in churchless lands re- maining, Far from all voice of teachers and di- vines, My voice would find in flowers of thy ordaining, Priests, sermons, shrines ! WATER LILIES. 5 WATER LIOLMES. (From tHe Artantic Monrury.] * * * Almost every town hasits Lily pond. Ours is accessible from the larger lake only by taking the skiff over a narrow embankment, which protects our fairy land by its presence. Once beyond it, we are in a realm of dark Lethean water, utterly unlike the sunny depths of the main lake. Hither the Water Lilies have retreated, to a domain of their own. A decline in business is clear revenue to Water Lilies, and the waters are higher than usual because factories are idle. But we may notice, in observing the shores, that peculiar charm of water, that, whether its quantity be greater or less, its grace is the same ; it makes its own boundary in lake or river, and where its edge is, there seems the natural and permanent margin. And thesame natural fitness, without reference to mere quantity, extends to its children. Before us lie islands and continents of Lilies, acres of charms, whole vast unbroken surfaces of stainless whiteness. And yet, as we approach them, every islanded cup that floats in lonely dignity, apart from the multitude, appears as perfect in itself, couched in white expanded perfection, its reflection taking a faint glory of pink, that is scarcely perceptible in the flower. As we glide gently among them, the air grows fragrant, and a stray breeze flaps the leaves, as if to welcome us, Each floating flower becomes suddenly a ship at anchor, or rather seems beating up against the Summer wind, in a regatta of blossoms. LEarly as it is, the greater part of the flowers are already expanded. Indeed, that experience of Thoreau’s, of watching them open in the first sunbeams, rank by rank, is not easily obtained, unless, perhaps, in a narrow stream, where the beautiful slumberers are more regularly marshalled. In our lake, at least, they open irregularly, though rapidly. But this morning many linger as buds, while others peer up in half-expanded beauty, beneath the lifted leaves, frolicksome as Pucks or baby- nymphs. As you raise the leaf, in such cases, it is impossible not to imagine that a pair of tiny hands have upheld it, or else that the pretty head will dip down again and dis- appear. Others, again, have expanded all but the inmost pair of white petals, and these spring apart at the first touch of the finger on the stem. Some spread vast vases of fragrance, six or seven inches in diameter, while others are small and delicate, with petals like fine lace-work. Smaller still, we sometimes pass a flotilla of infant leaves an inch in diameter. All these grow from the deep, dark water—and the blacker it is, the fairer their whiteness shows. But your eye follows the stem often vainly into those sombre depths, and vainly seeks to behold Sabrina fair, sitting with her twisted braids of Lilies, beneath the glassy, cool, but not translucent wave. Do not start, when in such an effort only your own dreamy face looks back upon you, beyond the gunwale of the reflected boat, and you find that you float double—self and shadow. Let us rest our paddles and look around us, while the idle motion sways our light skiff onwards, now half embayed among the Lily pads, now lazily gliding over intervening gulfs. There is a great deal going On in these waters and their fringing woods and meadows. All the Summer long the pond is bordered with successive walls of flowers. In early Spring emerge the yellow catkins of the Swamp Willow, first; then the long tassels of the graceful Alders expand and droop until they weep their yellow dust upon the water; then come the Birch blor- soms, more tardily ; then the downy leaves and white clusters of the Medlar or Shad- bush (Amelanchier canadensis of Gray) ; these dropping, the roseate chalices of the Moun- tain Laurel open; as they fade into melancholy brown, the sweet Azalea uncloses; and before its last honeyed blossom has trailed down, dying, from the stem, the more fragrant Clethra starts out above, the Buttonbush thrusts forth its merry face amid wild Roses, and the Clematis waves its sprays of beauty. Mingled with these, grow lower, the Spireeas, white and pink, yellow Touch-me-not, fresh white Arrowhead, bright blue Ver- vain and Skullcap, dull Snakehead, gay Monkey-flower, coarse Eupatoriums, Milkweeds, Golden Rods, Asters, Thistles and a host beside. Beneath, the brilliant scarlet Cardinal- flower begins to palisade the moist shores; and after its superb reflection has passed away from the waters, the grotesque Witch Hazel flares out its narrow yellow petals 6 E, D, STURTEVANT'S CATALOGUE. amidst the October leaves, and so ends the floral year, There is not a week during all these months when one cannot stand in the boat and wreathe garlands of blossoms from the shores. These all crowd around the brink, and watch, day and night, the opening and closing of the Water Lilies. Meanwhile, upon the waters, our queen keeps her chosen court, nor can one of these mere land-loving blossoms touch the hem of her gar- ment. * * * Her humble cousin, the yellow Nuphar, keeps commonly aloof, as becomes a poor relation, though created from the selfsame mud—a fact which Hawthorne has beau- tifully moralized. Undisturbed, however, the Water Lily keeps her fragrant court, with few attendants. The tall Pickerel-weed (Pontederia) is her gentleman usher, gorgeous in blue and gold through July, somewhat rusty in August. The Water-shield (Brasenia) is chief maid-of-honor ; she is a high-born lady, not without royal blood indeed, but with rather a bend sinister; not precisely beautiful, but very fastidious; encased over her whole person with a gelatinous covering, literally a starched duenna. Sometimes she is sus- pected of conspiring to drive her mistress from the throne ; for we have observed certain - slow water-courses where the leaves of the Water Lily have been almost wholly replaced by the similar but smaller leaves of the Water shield, More rarely seen is the slender Utricularia, a dainty maiden, whose light feet scarce touch the water—with the still more delicate floating white Water Ranunculus and the shy Villarsia, whose submerged flowers merely peep one day above the surface and then close again forever. Then, there are many humbler attendants, Potamogetons, or Pond-weeds. And here float little emissaries from the dominions of land; for the fallen florets of the Viburnum drift among the Lily pads, with mast-like stamens erect, sprinkling the water with a strange beauty, and cheating us with a promise of a new aquatic flower. These are the still life of this sequest- ered nook; but it is, in fact, a crowded thoroughfare. No tropical jungle more swarms with busy existence than these midsummer waters and their bushy banks, Gathering Water Lilies. Every flower bears a fragrant California in its bosom, and you hesitate to leave one behind. But after the first half hour of eager grasping, one becomes fastidious, rather scorns those on which the wasps and flies have alighted, and seeks only the stainless. But handle them tenderly, as if you loved them. Do not grasp at the open flower as if it were a Peony or Hollyhock, for then it will come off stalkless in your hand, and you will cast it blighted upon the water; but coil your thumb and second finger affectionately around it, press the extended forefinger firmly to the stem below, and with one steady pull you will secure a long and delicate stalk. Consider the Lilies. All over our rural watercourses, at midsummer, float these cups of snow. They are Nature’s symbols of coolness. They suggest to us the white garments of their Oriental worshipers, They come with the white roses and prepare the way for the white Lilies of the garden. The Water Lily comes of an ancient and sacred family. It has assisted at the most momen- tous religious ceremonies, from the beginning of recorded time. The Egyptian Lotus was a sacred plant; it was dedicated to Harpocrates and to Nofr Atmoo—Nofr meaning good, whence the name of our Yellow Lily, Nuphar. But the true Egyptian flower was Nymphaa Lotus, though Nymphza ceerulea, Moore’s “blue Water Lilies,” can be traced on the sepulchers also. It was cultivated in tanks in the gardens ; it was the chief material for festal wreaths ; a single bud hung over the forehead of many a queenly dame;and the sculptures represent the weary flowers as dropping from the heated hands of belles, in the later hours of the feast. Rock softly on the waves, fair Lilies! your Eastern kindred have rocked on the stormier bosom of Cleopatra. The Egyptian Lotus was, moreover, the emblem of the sacred Nile, as the Hindoo species of the sacred Ganges; and both the one and the other was held the symbol of the creation of the world from the waters. The sacred bull, Apis, was wreathed with its garlands ; there were niches for water, to place it among tombs; it was carved in the capitals of columns; it was represented on plates and vases; the sculptures show it in many sacred uses, even as a burnt offering; Isis holds it; and the god Nilus still binds a wreath of Water Lilies around the throne of Memnon, From Egypt the Lotus was carried to Assyria, and Layard found it among Fir cones and Honeysuckles on the later sculptures of Ninevah. The Greeks dedicated it to the nymphs, whence the name Nymphea. Nor did the Romans disregard it, though the Lotus to which Ovid’s nymph Lotis was changed servato nomine, was a tree and not a flower. Still different a thing was the enchanted stem of the Lotus eaters of Herodotus, which prosaic botanists have reduced to the Zizyphus Lotus found by Mungo Park, translating also the yellow Lotus dust into a mere “ farina, WATER LILIES. . (i tasting like sweet ginger-bread.” But in the Lotus of Hindostan, we find our flower again, and the Oriental sacred books are cool with Water Lilies. The orb of the earth is Lotus-shaped, and is upborne by the tusks of Vesava, as if he had been sporting in a lake where the leaves and blossoms float. Having got thus far into Orientalism, we can hardly expect to get out again without some slight entanglement in philology. Lily pads. Whence pads? No other leaf is identified with that singular monosyllable. Has our floating Lotus leaf any connection with padding, or with a footpad? With the ambling pad of an abbot, or a paddle, ora paddock, ora padlock? with many-domed Padua proud, or with St. Patrick? Is the name derived from the Anglo-Saxon paad or petihian? All the etymologists are silent on the subject ; Tooke and Richardson ignore the problem ; and of the innumerable pamphlets in the Worcester and Webster controversy, loading the tables of school-committeemen, not one ventures to grapple with the Lily pad. The Sanscrit name for the Lotus is simply Padma. The learned Brahmins call the Egyptian ‘ deities Padma Devi, or Lotus gods; the second of the eighteen Hindoo Puranas is styled the Padma Purana, because it treats of the ‘“‘ epoch when the world was a golden Lotus,” and the sacred incantation which goes murmuring through Thibet is “Ommani padme houm.” It would be singular, if upon these delicate floating leaves a fragment of our earliest vernacular has been borne down to us, so that here the school-boy is more learned than the savans. This lets us down easily to the more familiar uses of this plant divine. By the Nile, in early days, the Water Lily was good not merely for devotion, but for diet. “From the seeds of the Lotus,” said Pliny, “The Egyptians make bread.” The Hindoos still eat the seeds roasted in sand; also the stalks and roots. In South America, from the seeds of the Victoria (Nymphza Victoria, now Victoria regia) a farina is made, preferred to that of the finest wheat—Bonpland even suggesting to our reluctant imagina- tion Victoria-pies. But the European species are used, as far as we know, only in dyeing. Our own Water Lily has some strange peculiarities of structure. So loose is the internal distribution of its tissues, that it was for some time held doubtful to which of the two great vegetable divisions, exogenous or endogenous, it belonged. Its petals, moreover, furnish the best examples of the gradual transition of petals into stamens—illustrating that wonderful law of identity which is the great discovery of modern science. Every child knows this peculiarity of the Water Lily, but the extent of it seems to vary with seasons and locality, and sometimes one finds a succession of flowers almost entirely free from this confusion of organs. Our readers may not care to know that the order of Nymph- saceze ‘‘ differs from Ranunculaces in the consolidation of its carpels, from Papaveraces in the placentation not being parietal, and from Nelumbiacezx in the want of a large truncated disc containing monospermous achenia,”’ but they may like to know that the Water Lily has relations on land, in all gradations of society, from Poppy to Magnolia, and yet does not conform its habits precisely to those of any of them. Its great black roots, sometimes as large as a man’s arm, form a network at the bottom of the water. Its stem floats, an airy four-celled tube, adapting itself to the depth, though never stiff in shallows, like the stalk of the Yellow Lily; and it contracts and curves when seed- time approaches, though not so ingeniously as the spiral threads of the Vallisneria, which uncoil to let the flowers rise to the surface, and then cautiously retract, that the seeds may ripen on the very bottom of the lake. The leaves show, beneath the magnifier, beautiful adaptations of structure. They are not like those of land-plants, constructed with deep veins to receive the rain and conduct it to the stem, but are smooth and glossy, and of even surface. The leaves of land vegetation have also thousands of little breathing- pores, principally on the under side: the Apple leaf, for instance, has twenty-four thousand to a square inch. But here they are fewer; they are wholly on the upper side, and, whereas in other cases they open or shut according to the moisture of the atmosphere, here the greedy leaves, secure of moisture, scarcely deign to close them. Nevertheless, even these give some recognition of hygrometric necessities, and, though living on the water, and not merely christened with dewdrops like other leaves, but baptized by immersion all the time, they are yet known to suffer in draught, and apparently to take pleasure in heavy falls of rain. The Royal Water Lily. We have spoken of the various kindred of the Water Lily ; but we must not leave our fragrant subject without due mention of its most magnificent, most lovely relative, at first claimed even as its twin sister and classed as a Nymphea. We once lived near neighbor to a Victoria regia. Nothing in the world of vegetable existence, has such a 8 E. D. STURTEVANT’S CATALOGUE. human interest. The charm is not in the mere size of the plant, which disappoints everybody, as Niagara does, when tried by that sole standard. The leaves of the Victoria, indeed, attain a diameter of six feet; the largest flowers, of 23 inches—less than four times the size of the largest of our Water Lilies. But it is not the mere looks of the Victoria, it is its life which fascinates. It is not a thing merely of dimensions, nor merely of beauty, but a creature of vitality and motion. Those vast leaves expand and change almost visibly. They have been known to grow half an inch an hour, eight inches a day. Rising one day from the water, a mere clenched mass of yellow prickles, a leaf is trans- formed the next day to a crimson salver, gorgeously tinted on its upturned rim, Then it spreads into a raft of green, armed with long thorns, and supported by a frame-work of ribs and cross-pieces, an inch thick, and so substantial that the Brazil Indians, while gathering the seed-vessels, place their young children on the leaves ;—yrupe, or water- platter, they call the accommodating plant. But even these expanding leaves are not the glory of the Victoria; the glory is in the opening of the flower. We have sometimes looked in, for a passing moment, at the greenhouse, its dwelling place, during the period of flowering, and then stayed for more than an hour, unable to leave the fascinatingscene. After the strange flower-bud has reared its dark head from the placid tank, moving it a little uneasily, like some imprisoned water-creature, it pauses for 2 moment in a sort of dumb despair. Then, trembling again, and collecting all its powers, it thrusts open, with an indignant jerk, the rough calyx leaves, and the beautiful disrobing begins. The firm, white, central cone, first so closely infolded, quivers a little, and swiftly, before your eyes, the first of the hundred petals detaches its delicate edges, and springs back, opening towards the water, while its white reflection opens to meet it from below. Many moments of repose follow—you watch—another petal trembles, detaches, springs open, and is still, Then another, and another, and another, Each movement is so quiet, yet so decided, so living, so human, that the radiant creature seems a Musidora of thewater, and you almost blush with a sense of guilt in gazing on that peerless privacy. As petal by petal slowly opens, there still stands the central cone of snow, a glacier, an alp, a jungfrau, while each avalanche of whiteness seems the last. Meanwhilea strange, rich odor fills the air, and Nature seems to concentrate all fascinations and claim all senses for this jubilee of her | darling. So pass the enchanted moments of the evening, till the fair thing pauses at last, and remains for hours unchanged. In the morning, one by one, those white petals close again, shutting all their beauty in, and you watch through the short sleep for the period of waking. Can this bright, transfigured creature appear again in the same chaste beauty ? Your fancy can scarcely trust it, fearing some disastrous change; and your fancy is too true a prophet, Come again after the second day’s opening, and you start at the trans- formation which one hour has secretly produced. Can this be the virgin Victoria—this thing of crimson passion, this pile of pink and yellow, relaxed, expanded, voluptuous, lolling languidly upon the water, never to rise again? In this short time every tint of every petal is transformed ; it is gorgeous in beauty, but itis “Hebe turned to Magdalen.” But our rustic Water Lily, our inocent Nymphea, never claiming such a hot-house glory, never drooping into such a blush, blooms on placidly in the quiet waters, till she modestly folds her leaves for the last time, and bows her head beneath the surface forever. Next year she lives for us only in her children, fair and pure as herself. Nay, not alone in them, but also in memory. The fair vision will not fade from us, though the paddle has dipped its last crystal drop from the waves, and the boat is drawn upon the shore. We may yet visit many lovely and lonely places—meadows thick with Violet, or the homes of the shy Rhodora, or those sloping forest-haunts where the slight Linnea hangs its eee heads—but no scene will linger on our vision like this annual feast of the Lilies. RARE WATER LILIES, 9 THE WATER LILY TANK. ‘A piece of color is as useful as a piece of bread.”—Henry Ward Beecher. Although Water Lilies may be cultivated in tubs, they may be grown to much greater perfection if allowed plenty of room, especially the larger-growing tropical species. Those who wish to cultivate a number of kinds, and have complete success, should build a tank about twenty by thirty feet, and two feet deep. If sunk entirely in the ground it would be more easily protected from frost in cold climates. But it may be partially sunken, and the soil which is taken out used as an embankment around the outside, sloping it up to the top. I prefer that it should be sunk to the level of the surrounding surface, for the reason that the banks can be made more ornamental. It may be built of either brick or stone. The bottom may be laid with rough stone, cobble-stone, or old brickbats, and grouted with cement. Or, if the soil is of a firm nature, a thick coat of cement alone, may be spread upon it. This latter plan has been. perfectly successful with us, though we consider a concrete bottom preferable. The walls should be nine inches thick, laid in cement, and, in cold climates, made to slope outwards from the bottom. If it is desired to grow Nymphza Devoniensis, or similar kinds, to full size of leaf and flower, then it will be necessary to sink a pit in the center, one foot deep and four feet square, to hold soil for them. Provide means for emptying the tank of water, when desired ; also, a waste-pipe, near the top, for overflow. After the walls have been built, and the bottom laid and grouted, the whole must receive an additional coat of cement. About four feet from each end of the tank, build a partition wall about ten inches high. Bricks laid on edge will do, if laid in cement. These spaces can be cut in two by another par- tition. The compartments thus formed are for the purpose of confining the roots of the different kinds of Lotus within proper limits, and for planting out those kinds of Nym- pheea which do better in such a position. The remaining portion of the tank can be taken up with pots and large shallow boxes, which will be movable at will. After the cement has properly hardened, fill the compartments and boxes with soil, and cover with an inch or two of clean sand. Fill the tank with water, and let it get well warmed be- fore planting anything tender. As warm weather approaches, run a stream of fresh water in, for an hour or two each day, to prevent stagnation. When the surface of the water is covered with leaves, there is less tendency in this direction ; and all that seems to be necessary is to replace what is lost by evaporation. The Lily tank must be placed in a warm and sunny position, for these plants will not do their best unless the water is thoroughly warmed. On the north side may be a border filled with Musas, Cannas, Bamboos, Ornamental Grasses, Caladiums, &c., which form a fine background for the Lilies, and give the whole a tropical appearance. In such a tank as above described, the tenderest species named in this catalogue may, in this latitude, be planted out by the 10th of June, and remain until the frosts of Autumn appear. If it is desired to enjoy the longest possible season of bloom in the open air, then the Lily pond may be located near a greenhouse, and some connection made with the hot-water boiler. Our manner of doing this is to extend the hot-water pipe (both flow and return) from the boiler to the tank, and reaching a few inches inside of the wall. The end of these pipes are left open, and when extra heat is wanted a fire is kept in the boiler. The circulation being constant between tank and boiler, the water in the tank may thus be warmed early in the Spring, the tender Lilies planted out earlier, and thus earlier bloom be the result. Fire heat can be discontinued as soon as the Sum- mer sun begins to do its work. The season of bloom can be prolonged in the Autumn in the same manner. For the protection of the tank in Winter, place planks or boards around the edge in such a manner as to cover a space two or three feet in width all around, that is, over the water, and cover them with a thick layer of leaves or litter. This will help to keep the 9) al 10 E. D. STURTEVANT'’S CATALOGUE. ice from forming at the edge, and consequently from expanding too much and cracking the walls. Another plan is to drain the water entirely from the pond, and cover with a thick coat of leaves. Any one having a large factory could place a Lily pond near it, so that the waste steam or hot water (if free from chemicals or filth) might be utilized for keeping the water warm, and from freezing in Winter. It may be asked, “ Why all this trouble and expense? Why not grow the Lilies in ponds with a bottom of natural earth?” We answer, that for the hardy kinds this is undoubtedly a good plan, and very fair success may be had in the same way with the tender kinds; but in a pond with a cement bottom the water is more readily heated by the sun, and retains its heat better. THE WATER LILY GARDEN COMPLHETE. I will add here a few words upon the “ possibilities” of aquatic gardening. One argu- ment in favor of cultivating tropical Lilies in the open air is, that larger leaves and flowers are obtained, and in case of the colored kinds, greater depth of color than under glass. Another argument is, the grand effect which may be produced on the lawn or in any part of the pleasure ground. Let us suppose that you wish to have an aquatic gar- den, fifty, sixty, or a hundred feet in diameter. We will not build it in the stiff form of a circle or oval, but the outline shall be irregular, with here and there a small bay, across which we will throw a rustic bridge to a miniature peninsula. Somewhere on the margin we will build a rustic Summer-house. It shall be a two-story affair, for sometimes we shall want to view our pets from an elevated position, for, unlike our fellow-creatures, they smile upon us when we look down upon them. If we havea rocky ledge in our grounds, let us place our pond near it. Now, let us suppose that all has been planted, established, and come to midsummer perfection. Some morning, before the night-bloom- ing Lilies have begun to take their midday sleep, let us ascend the low tower and take a view of the picture. There, beneath us, the noble Nymphea dentata, covering a space twenty feet in diameter, some of its leaves two feet across, and its milk-white flowers twelve inches across; there is the grand Nymphea rubra, with its immense cups of glowing color; and there, queen of them all, is N, Devoniensis, surpassing in brilliancy of flower, if not in size of leaf, the famous Victoria regia. Then come groups of these same Lilies, planted more thickly, and though the flowers are smaller, yet they are more numerous and just as brilliant. Yonder, a little bay is filled with Egyptian Lotus, its pink and white flowers, on stalks three feet above the water, looking like immense tulips. Next is a mass of the American Lotus, with its sulphur-yellow flowers; some of its floating leaves have strayed out into an open space, and are thirty inches in diameter. Let us descend and walk along the border of our little lake. Here is a plantation of the lovely blue Nympheea scutifolia; you perceive its fragrance before you come near it. Next is the beautiful Yellow Lily, from Florida; and our own sweet Water Lily is not forgotten, for it is here in masses. Associated with it are its charming new, rose-colored variety, N. odorata rosea, and the delicate pink-tinted one. Here are N. alba and N. alba rosea, with their waxy petals, similar in color to some of the others, but having their own distinctive merits and attractions. The favorite Calla of our Winter gardens lifts its white trumpets towards the sky, and numerous smaller flowered aquatics are found in profusion along the edge of the water. Coming around to the Lotuses again, we find growing near them, in shallow water, great clumps of the Egyptian Papyrus, with its plumy heads on stalks six feet high. Now let us look at some of the plants which associate well with water, and help form a background for our picture. Scattered along the margin we find groups of ornamental grasses, Eulalias, Erianthus and Pampas Grass. Yonder, on our little peninsula, stands a noble Banana (Musa ensete), twelve feet high. Farther on is a clump of the tall Bamboo (Arundo Donax), and its variegated variety. There are groups of Cannas, and a large Palm, brought from the greenhouse to spend the Summer in the open air. Another stately plant is Alocasia arborea, with a tree-like trunk and fine, large leaves. What is this great-leaved plant, near the water’s edge? It is Gunnera scabra (the Giant Rhubarb), with leaves six feet in diameter. Now do you wish to give your friends a glimpse of fairyland? Then illuminate your grounds, and invite them to an evening féte or garden party. The Lotuses and hardy Lilies have closed their flowers, but the night-blooming Water Lilies offer us a feast for the eyes at night. Place large lamps, with reflectors, in such a position as to throw a powerful light directly upon the flowers—or, perhaps, Edison’s magic lamps are available, and you suspend a number of them in mid-air over the water. Now the red Lilies fairly glow with color, and are far more beautiful than by daylight. The water is like a mirror, and in its depths you behold RARE WATER LILIES. 11 another glorious picture—a perfect image of the flowers themselves. The large, star-like white ones keep company with the red in their night watches, and are not unworthy companions for them. Look around at the floating leaves, the numerous buds which will open with to-morrow’s sun, the tall shields of the Lotus, the rich, tropical foliage on the banks, the rustic arbor covered with myriads of the silvery blossoms of the night-flowering Ipomea, and tell me if this is not a fairy scene. And having taken a view of the Water _ Lily Garden by daylight and by lamplight, will you not acknowledge that in all that is really beautiful it far surpasses the most elaborate exhibition of carpet bedding? Perhaps you will say that this is a fancy sketch. Our answer is, that it has been so far realized that we do not hesitate to place such a garden as we have described among the list of ‘‘ possibilities of horticulture”’ in America, SOIL FOR GROWING AQUATIC PLANTS. The best soil for growing all kinds of aquatic plants in gardens, we have found to be good, rich loam, and the best decayed stable or cow manure, in equal quantities. Leaf- mold or fine black peat can no doubt also be used to advantage. Rich mud from the bed of a pond or sluggish stream will answer in place of the loam, but I do not consider it essential. The compost should be well mixed, placed in the tank, and covered with about an inch of good, clean sand, to keep the manure from rising ; then let in the water several days before putting in the plants, WATER LILIES IN TUBS AND CEMENT BASINS. Those who have means to build large Lily tanks in spacious glass houses, with hot- water pipes placed in the water, can no doubt obtain very desirable results. The tender species can be planted permanently, and a longer period of bloom be enjoyed. But a good degree of success may be attained by planting them in large tubs or half-barrels in the open air, either on the surface or sunk in the ground. They should be placed where they will receive the full benefit of the sun for at least the greater portion of the day. If for the whole day, so much the better. Fill them about half full of the compost recommended for all aquatics. The large growing kinds would do better in large half- hogsheads or tierces sawed in two. The next best arrangement for growing aquatics is to build of bricks and hydraulic cement a basin two feet deep and six feet in diameter, either round or square. This can be sunk in the lawn in a sunny position, or on the south side of a building or fence. If convenient, provide means for emptying the tank from the bottom, and a waste pipe near the top for overflow, so that fresh water can be run in occasionally to prevent stagnation. Such a tank would need to be well protected from severe frost in Winter. Aquatics may also be grown in the basin of a fountain, but they will not flourish if the spray is allowed to fall upon the leaves. Water enough to keep that in the basin fresh, may be allowed to run in, but no more, as that would lower the temperature too much. NATURALIZING HARDY AQUATICS. The beautiful cut upon the cover of this catalogue gives an excellent idea of what may be done in this direction. Any one having a fine piece of water where the common Water Lily would flourish, can produce similar results; and, with the addition of the tender kinds put out for Summer, the effect would be grander still. We will give a list of the plants shown in the picture: Nelumbium luteum, Nymphza odorata, Calla palustris, Saggitaria variabilis (the Arrow head). In the center is the common Cat-Tail (Typha latifolia), and on the right is the curious Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea.) Another fine plant for shallow water is Pontederia cordata, with spikes of blue flowers. On the banks might be planted masses of scarlet Lobelia and the beautiful meadow Lilies (Lilium supernum and L. canadense), Hardy ferns should not be for- gotten. The Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis) is a fine one for such a position. We quote the following from The Garden, an English perodical, which, in’our opinion, is the very best and ablest journal of horticulture in the world: ___“The plants that grow by the water side, so much admired in natural scenery, are seldom taken so much advantage of for cultivating as they might be; otherwise the bare water edges, so often found in connection with lakes and other ornamental water, would be of less frequent occurrence than they are. With the vast resources of suitable 12 E. D. STURTEVANT'’S CATALOGUE. plants at our service, if appropriately employed, the margins of artificial water might be made to surpass even the choicest examples of natural riverside vegetation. In the majority of cases, if the edges of artificial water are clothed at all, they have a monoto- nous appearance, on account of the continuous fringes of plants of a common-place type used; whereas, if a greater variety of kinds, of varied height, habit and flower were employed and disposed in bold, irregular groups—some close to the margins, others at a distance from them, and some even partly submerged—some of the most charming effects could thereby be obtained. The principal consideration is a knowledge of the positions in which the plants thrive best, the degree of moisture in which they will flourish; then grouping them effectively is easily accomplished. Our native flora affords great numbers of really handsome water- side plants, many of which are in no way inferior to exotic kinds.” ENEMIES OF AQUATIC PLANTS. The conditions which we recommend for successfully growing tropical aquatics (t. e.) still, warm water, and a rich compost), favor the growth of a low form of vegetable life called conferve, or green scum, which becomes very unsightly and troublesome unless eradicated. As the result of several years’ experience, we are quite positive that if abundance of Gold-fish are kept in the tank, or pond, there will be no trouble in this direction, Other kinds of fish, which are vegetarian in habit, might, perhaps, answer as well, but the German Carp is not to be recommended for tanks kept solely for the choicer varieties of aquatics, on account of their propensity for rooting in the mud and feeding upon the fibrous roots which proceed from the rhizomes of the Lilies. Should it be determined to keep a few German Carp in the Lily Garden, it will be necessary to place whole pieces of roofing-slate or large-pebbles on the soil around the crowns of the tender Nympheas. Innumerable kinds of aquatic insects breed in the water, and some of their larve prey upon the leaves of the Lilies, but the common water-snail is the greatest enemy of aquatic plants. TheGold-fish assist very materially in destroying these larve and snails, but we have found a complete preventative of injury to the foliage from this source, by keeping in the tank, in addition to the Gold-fish, some of the common spotted Sun-fish. They are carnivorous in habit, and very alert and active. Moreover, itis impossible for mosquitoes to breed in a Water Lily basin in which abundance of the above-named fish, or those of similar habit, are kept. Thus one objection to locating these tanks or ponds in the vicinity of the dwelling-house is removed. Their beautiful appearance, and the ease with which they may be taught to feed from the hand (though it must not be done too frequently) make them charming adjuncts to the Water Garden. If the tank is two feet or more in depth, they can be left in it all Winter with perfect safety, in this latitude. Sometimes, toward Autumn, brown aphides, or plant-lice, become troublesome on the Lily leaves. A somewhat new insecticide, which any one can prepare, has proved effectual with us. Itis called the kerosene emulsion, or kerosene butter, and is prepared as follows : Take two parts of kerosene and one part of thick, sour milk; warm the latter (to blood heat only) ; put the two liquids together, and agitate violently with a green-house syringe, oraforce pump. They will soon completely unite and form a white soapy mass. This kerosene butter mixes readily with tepid water. One part of the butter should be thorougly mixed with fifteen parts of water, and applied to the infested leaves with a syringe. With us, one application entirely destroyed the insects, without any injury whatever to Nymphzas. A weaker solution of the emulsion must be used on any plants which are found to be injured by the proportion above given. Experience will bea guide in this matter. Very few applications of the remedy will be needed during the season. Nelumbium leaves are injured by the application of kerosene. Tobacco water applied with a syringe is the best means for destroying aphides on these. RARE WATER LILIES. 13 DESCRIPTION OF YAIRTETIES. THH VICTORIA REGIA. This giant Water Lily of the river Amazon is the grandest of all aquatics. That it may be successfully grown and flowered in the open air in this latitude, we have proved beyond a doubt, having done so for two seasons past. By this plan, it is treated as a tender annual. In Winter or early Spring, seeds are placed in water, kept uniformly at a temperature of from 80 to 90 degrees. After germinating, they are potted and shifted on, as they require it. Early in June a plant is placed in a bed of very rich soil in a tank, fully exposed to the sun, and which can be artificially heated until hot weather sets in. It produces leaves six feet across, one plant covering a space thirty feet in diameter. The flowers are from twelve to sixteen inches across, The first night that they open they are a lovely white, and emit a delicious perfume, resembling that of pine- apples, which is often perceptible some rods distant. The second night the flowers have changed to pink, and have lost their perfume. In the Southern States, it may be grovan with complete success in open ponds. Plants, $10.00 to $15.00 each. Fresh and perfect seeds, of our own raising, 50 cents each ; $5.00 per doz. NIGHT-BLOOMING WATER LILIES. Unlike our wild N. odorata, the following five kinds open their flowers at night, beginning about eight o’clock and remaining expanded until about ten the next morn- ing, each flower opening three nights in succession. They stand on strong foot-stalks ten or twelve inches above the surface of the water. If given the right conditions as to soil, temperature, &c., they will begin to bloom in about forty days after being put out, and continue to be constantly in bloom until cold weather. They all require the same culture and treatment. Their tubes are about the size of a hickory nut or walnut, but make a most astonishing growth in a single season. In Spring they should be placed in small pots with good loam or ordinary greenhouse potting soil, and immersed in water kept at 80 degrees to start them into growth. If you are satisfied to have flowers from four to six inches in diameter, then, when warm weather arrives, shift them into large earthen pans or tubs, and place them out-of-doors, or keep them in a greenhouse, accord- ing to the latitude in which you live. If the finest specimens are desired, then, as early in Summer as the water becomes warm enough for bathing with comfort, plant them out in a Water Lily tank, in large beds or wooden boxes filled with the compost recom- mended for aquatics. Inthe Autumn, around the old plant may be found hard, nut-like tubers. These are the best for wintering. They ripen and shed their leaves, when they may be placed, several together, in a pot of soil or clean sand, and the pots immersed in water kept at a temperature of about 60 degrees the entire Winter. Lower than this may do, but we have found this the safest. Monster flowering crowns are valueless for wintering over, being sure to decay. If you wish to grow them in a pond with a bottom of natural earth, they must first be planted in large boxes or half-barrels filled with the prepared compost, and sunk where the water is two or three feet deep, In the Southern States this will not be necessary, but do not put a dormant bulb at once into deep water. Let it first get a good growth in a pot placed in shallow water. The day-blooming tender Nympheas are managed in much the same way as the night-blooming ones, except that they do not increase by suckers, and the old plants may be kept over from year to year, Dormant bulbs are easily sent by mail from March to December. NYMPHAIA DEVONIENSIS. This is one of the choicest, if not the very choicest, Water Lily in cultivation, Under the liberal treatment which we recommend for producing the finest specimens, in one season a single plant will cover a circle twenty feet across, with leaves twenty-five inches in. diameter, and flowers twelve inches from tip to tip of petals. If confined in pans, tubs, 14 E. D. STURTEVANT'S CATALOGUE. (NYMPHZA DEVONIENSIS.) or boxes, the flowers are smaller, but otherwise just as fine. The Jeaves are rich green, with serrated edges and occasional brown blotches. No person can form an adequate idea of the beauty of a red Water Lily until they have seen one of these gorgeous blossoms. They are rosy red (with scarlet stamens), glowing by lamplight with indescribable color. Price, $3.00 each. +NYMPHAGIA STURTEVANTI (New Semi-Double Red Water Lily). This is a new variety, which originated in our establishment, A specimen was sent to the Botanic Garden, at Cambridge, Mass., where a company of the most celebrated botanists in the country pronounced it “ the fullest, most massive and gorgeous Nympheea blossom they had ever seen.”’ The following note from Dr. Asa Gray explains the origin of its name: Hereartum or Harvard UNIVERSITY, Borantc GARDEN, CAmprinGe, Mass., September 28th, 1882. Mr. Fatconrr—Although Mr. Sturtevant’s very wonderful Nymphea is only a “seedling sport” from its hybrid parent, it is certainly different enough to deserve, as a plant of cultivation, a distinct name. And we should all agree in wishing that it should bear the name of its producer, as one who has done so much for Water Lily culture, besides this crowning achievement. Giving names to cultivated forms is not in my line; still, if you and your correspondent would prefer a name from me, [ would call this + Nymphcea Sturtevanti—retaining the symbol of the cross in mark of its originally hybrid origin; for I suppose there is no doubt that its immediate parent is a hybrid. e eae @ ve o ASA GRAY. This new Lily grows to the same size as its parent Nymphwa Devoniensis. It has the following distinct characteristics: The leaves are covered with peculiar indentations and curls, instead of having a smooth surface, and are of a beautiful crimson bronze color— the young ones sometimes almost crimson. The flowers are bright red, some of them a soft rose color, and present a most charming appearance at night. They are cup-shaped, like N, odorata, a form which is much more graceful than N, Devoniensis. When well grown they are from nine to eleven inches in diameter, having a greater number of petals than the parent, and may rot inaptly be called double. The petals are thick and waxy, some of them measuring nearly three inches in width. The plant is a continuous bloomer, but does not produce as many flowers ata time asits parent. It will be a grand RARE WATER LILIES. 15 addition to any collection, especially where there is a large tank, aquarium or warm pond, aftording plenty of room for its development. $5.00 each. NYMPHAIA RUBRA. This magnificent species is a native of India, and one of the parents of N. Devoni- ensis. The picture of the latter gives a good idea of N. rubra, except that the flowers are a little more cup-shaped, and their petals somewhat broader. Their color is also a brilliant red, sometimes of a deeper shade than N, Devoniensis, and both foliage and flowers attain nearly the same size as that variety if given the same treatment. The foliage is quite distinct, being of a rich brown color, turning, when old, to gold and crimson, like Autumn leaves. $3.00 each. NYMPHAA DENTATA. This species is a native of Sierra Leone, and has white flowers with petals expanding horizontally, making them star-shaped. They have an agreeable odor, but not as sweet as our native Lily; the leaves are rich green, with serrated edges. With ordinary cul- ture, flowers will be produced six or seven inches across; but give them plenty of room ay ee gpl and both foliage and flowers will be as large as those of N. Devoniensis. 2.50 each, DAY-BLOOMING NYMPHAAS, AND OTHER TENDER AQUATICS. NYMPHAIA SCUTIFOLIA—(Cecrulea, or Cyanza). The Lilies cultivated under these names are of a beautiful shade of lavender blue (not a deep blue), about three or four inches across, but when the plant is given abund- ance of room and rich soil the flowers will be much larger, and of a decidedly deeper tint, They are very fragrant, the perfume being entirely distinct from that of Nymphea odorata. It may be successfully grown in a natural pond, where the water is still and the mud rich. Probably hardy in the South. Winter temperature 50° to 60°. Our plants are of the best variety. $3.00 each. NYMPHAIA ZANZIBARENSIS (The Royal Purple Water Lily). This new species, from Africa, was first flowered in this country by us in the Summer of 1882. In September, 1883, the Mass. Horticultural Society awarded it their Silver Medal. It is, unquestionably, the deepest colored and finest of all blue Water Lilies known, and some European horticulturists declare it to be the finest of the whole family. It is of a shade of blue so deep that it is not unreasonably called purple. Some parts of the flower are of the color of “ Lasiandra macrantha”’ (a greenhouse plant). It has the same fragrance as N. coerulea, and, even when grown in small tubs or pans, produces larger flowers than that variety. Under the treatment given it in our Water Lily garden, they attain a diameter of twelve inches, and the leaves a diameter of two feet. It blooms constantly until frosty weather, and requires the same culture and treatment as other blue Lilies. Price, $10.00 each. NYMPHAjIA ZANZIBARENSIS AZURHA. We offer under this name strong flowering bulbs, raised from seed of the true N. zanzibarensis, which they are like in every respect, except that the color of the flowers is a shade lighter, being of the richest deep azure blue, far surpassing N. coerulea or any other blue Lily except the true N. zanzibarensis. Price, $5.00 each. NYMPHAIA ZANZIBARENSIS ROSHA. This is like N. zanzibarensis in every respect, except that the flowers are of a deep rosy pink color. Price, $5.00 each. 16 £. D, STURTEVANT’S CATALOGUE. LIMNOCHARIS HUMBOLDTII (The Water Poppy). A charming and easily cultivated plant, with oval floating leaves and flowers of a bright lemon color with black stamens. The flowers stand a few inches out of water, and are produced freely during the entire season. Easily grown in a tub, but better still in the Water Lily garden, planted in a box or a tub, which must be elevated so that the plants may grow in shallow water. Wintered in the greenhouse. 450 cents each. PONTEDERIA AZURHA. This is the finest of all the Pontederias. Itssmooth, green leaves are borne on spongy stalks, about a foot long, which are somewhat inflated, like those of P. crassipes. Its lovely and delicately-tinted flowers are produced in large pyramids like a hyacinth, each individual blossom being nearly two inches across, and of a bluish-purple color. Should be grown in a pot immersed in water, and wintered ina hothouse. It is a grand novelty, and has received unstinted praise in Hurope. We hope to haveit ready for our customers by July Ist, 1885. Price on application. OUVIRANDRA FENESTRALIS (The Lattice-Leaf Plant). Though by no means a new plant, it is extremely rare in this country. We copy from “Stove and Greenhouse Plants,’ by B. S. Williams, this description: ‘“‘Itis popularly known as the Lace-Leaf or Lattice-Le2f, and is one of the most singlar plants in existence. The leaves are from six to eighteen inches in length, and from two to four inches in breadth ; oblong, with an obtuse apex, and spreading out horizontally beneath the surface of the water. They are of a dark olive green color, and consist of a strong midrib and that would be called the primary nerves of an ordinary leaf, and thus present the appear- ance of a beautiful piece of net-work, or of a skeletonized leaf, indeed, it is a veritable living skeleton. The flowers are inconspicuous.” Native of Madagascar. It must be kept under glass all the year, and should be grown ina pan filled with a mixture of good loam and leaf mold or fine peat, The pan should be placed in a tub of water, and great care taken to keep the water sweet and the leaves of the plant clean. It must be kept shaded all the year, and we find the best way to do this is to grow “ Azolla” on the surface of the water. It may be wintered in ordinary greenhouse temperature. Price $2.00 to $5.00 each. CHERATOPTERIS THALICTROIDES (The Water Fern). This is an extremely curious and interesting fern, growing with its roots entirely submerged in water, either in a pot or planted out in a shallow place in the Water Lily basin. The fronds are from one to three feet high, and beautifully forked. The finest oues are produced on plants kept in partial shade. It is sometimes called the “ Floating Stag’s Horn Fern.” It must be wintered in a warm greenhouse. 75 cents each. HEDYCHIUM ACUMINATUM (The Garland Flower). Hedychiums belong to the family of the ginger plant. This species grows from four to six feet high, each flower-spike producing, for several weeks in succession, lovely snow white blossoms, over two inches across, resembling an orchid in form, and deliciously scented. It may be grown asa semi-aquatic, by planting it in a tub and placing it where the soil will be kept wet, but the crowns must not be immersed. If kept warm enough it will flower the whole year round. 50 cents each. CANNA EHEMANI. This is the most magnificent Canna ever introduced. It grows to a height of five or six feet, with large, green, banana-like foliage, and the flowers are marvelous in size, being as large as a Gladiolus bloom. They are of a rich, crimson scarlet color, and hang pendant in clusters from the top of the plant. Each stalk produces a succession of these clusters, one after another, for a long time. This Canna may be treated as a semi-aquatic, by planting it in a large tub partly immersed in water. It is a grand acquisition, and should be in every garden. 50 cents each. — RARE WATER LILIES. 17 RICHARDIA ASTHIOPICA (‘The Calla,” or ‘‘Lily of the Nile”). This old and favorite plant can be made a charming feature among the Water Lilies. The only way known to us for making it bloom in Summer is to keep the bulbs entirely dry and dormant during Autumn and Winter. They can then be potted and grown as an aquatic during Summer. 25 and 50 cents each ; $2.50 and $5.00 per dozen. PAPYRUS ANTIQUORUM. This is the true Egyptian Paper Plant. From the snow-white pith of its triangular stalks the first paper was made. They are five or six feet high, and support at the top a tuft of long, thread-like leaves, which give the plant a graceful and striking appearance. It grows finely in shallow water, with rich soil or mud, and makes a splendid companion for flowering aquatics. It will also flourish and make a fine clump in the garden, with no more water than Cannas or Corn require to make them do well. $1.00 each. CYPERUS ALTERNIFOLIUS. Will also grow with its roots submerged in water, its reedy stems, with tufted heads, resembling miniature palm trees. 25 cents each. FLOATING PLANTS. PISTIA STRATIOTES. A very curious plant, which floats upon the water, with its long, fibrous roots extend- ing downwards, but having no connection with the soil. It forms a rosette of light green, velvety leaves, about six inches across; likes plenty of heat, and must be shaded from the direct rays of the sun. It does finely in a tub of water, placed in a vinery or green- house, in Summer, or in the open air, under a tree. It is sometimes called the Water Lettuce. 25 cents each ; $2.00 per dozen. PONTEDHRIA CRASSIPHES. This is an extremely interesting plant, which floats upon the surface of the water like Water Lettuce. Each crown produces neat rosettes of leaves, the stems of which are enlarged in the middle into curious oval bulbs filled with air cells, which enable the whole plant toswim. If it is desired to flower it, the root must be put in a pot of loam and kept covered with water by corking up the hole in the bottom, But, then, the leaves become elongated, and lose the attractive expansion of the petiole. Flowers, bluish lilac. It should be wintered in a warm greenhouse. 50 cents each. TRIANAAA BOGOTENSIS. A floating plant, with thick, spongy leaves, from one-half to one inch in diameter. Very curious—tender. 25 cents each. AZOLLA CAROLINIANA (Floating Moss). A floating plant, which produces no flowers, but is exceedingly interesting on account of the delicacy and beauty of its foliage, which resembles a lovely green moss or Selagi- nella. A small plant, placed in a pan of water, soon covers the whole surface, and pre- sents an appearance something like a pan of ‘‘Selaginella densa.’’ If grown out of doors, in Summer, it should be kept in the shade. 25 cents each. 3 18 E. D. STURTEVANT'’S CATALOGUE, PITCHER PLANTS. As these are water loving plants, we have thought best to introduce them here. Sarracenia purpurea is perfectly hardy. S. flava and §, variolaris have stood the Winter in this latitude, naturalized in a peat bog. The most of this class, however, are best grown in pots of fine peaty soil, surfaced with live sphagnum, and kept standing in a pan of water. DIONAA MUSCIPULA (Fly Catcher): A most wonderful little plant, called “ Venus’ Fly-Trap.” It has strange trap-like arrangements at the ends of the leaves, which, owing to the hair-like sensitive organs on the inner surface, will close instantly when touched by an insect or any light substance, 25 cents each. SARRACENIA DRUMMONDI ALBA. The pitchers of this are two feet high, slender at the base and widening at the top like an ordinary tin horn. They are of a fine green, except towards the top they become pure white, nettled with crimson veins. The flowers are crimson. This is the most beau- tiful of the family. 50 cents to 75 cents each ; $5.00 per dozen. SARRACENIA FLAVA (Trumpets). This is the largest of all, producing in its native swamp, its handsome green, trumpet- like pitchers often three feet high. Flowers large, yellow. 35 cents each; $3.00 per dozen. SARRACENIA PURPUREA. This hardy northern species is not unworthy of a place in any collection. By giving it peaty soil and moss, it may be naturalized on the margin of a pond orstream. Flowers purple. 25 cents each; $2.00 per dozen. SARRACENIA VARIOLARIS. Pitchers from twelve to eighteen inches high, very curiously hooded at the top, these hoods being spotted with white. Flowers yellow. 35 cents each; $3.00 per dozen. SARRACENIA RUBRA. A small growing species, with slender trumpet-shaped leaves of a reddish color, Very neat when grown several in a pot together. Flowers crimson-purple. 25 cents each ; $2.00 per dozen. DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA (The California Pitcher plant). This has the most curiously-formed pitchers of any of the tribe. They grow to the height of from fifteen inches to two and a half feet, and have some resemblance to those of the Sarracenias, but differ from them in having the upper part arched over, like an inflated hood, and having a large triangular appendage hanging loosely from it. They are beautifully mottled with white, and veined with red. Flowers straw-color and pale purple. 50 cents to $1.00 each. DROSHRA FILIFORMIS. A rare, curious and hardy little bog plant, with pretty lilac flowers. 35 cents each. Drosera rotundifolia, 20 cents each, RARE WATER LILIES. 19 HARDY AQUATICS. The roots of the native American Water Lily will not endure actual freezing, but still it is commonly called hardy. When we speak of an aquatic as being hardy, we do not mean that it is so in the same sense that Peonias and Dicentras are, but that it will endure the Winter when placed in the water below, the reach of frost. NYMPHAGA ODORATA. The praises of our fragrant native Water Lily can never be too highly sung. Its lovely white flowers are worthy of a place beside the most costly exotics. It can be suc- cessfully grown in a tub, and wintered in a cellar. Does well in one of the beds in the Lily tank, but a more satisfactory way than either 1s to naturalize it in a pond, or slow- running stream. Do not tie a stone to it and sink it, as many recommend, but push it carefully into the mud with the hands or feet. Where the mud is very rich, it will pro- duce flowers six inches, and leaves thirteen inches across. Strong roots, by mail, 40 cents each, or three for $1.10; by express, 30 cents each ;_$3.00 per dozen. NYMPHAIA ODORATA MINOR. A variety of our native Water Lily, possessing the same qualities of hardiness and fragrance, but producing flowers only one and a half or two inches across. Color, white, tinted with pink on the outside. Prices the same as for N. odorata. NYMPHAIA ODORATA ROSEA (Cape Cod Water Lily). This is the famous Pink Water Lily of Cape Cod, and is the grandest acquisition ever made to our list of hardy Nympheas. It possesses all the desirable qualities of the white flowered species, hardiness, freedom of bloom and delicious fragrance, with the added charm of a deep pink color, a shade somewhat like the rose, called ‘‘ Hermosa.” The flowers average a larger size than the white, and are in great demand in the large cities and at watering-places during their season. We unhesitatingly pronounce this the most lovely and desirable of all the hardy Water Lilies, and are happy to offer good roots this season at a reduced price, $7.00 each ; two for $12.00. Smaller blooming roots, $5.00 each. NYMPHAIA TUBEHROSA. Quite distinct from N. odorata, having flowers from four to seven inches in diameter, pure white, with a faint odor like that of ripe apples. The petals are broader and less pointed than those of N. odorata—leayes sometimes fifteen inches wide. 75 cents each. 20 E. D. STURTEVANT'S CATALOGUE. NYMPHASA ALBA. The native Water Lily of England, possessing the same early and late blooming qualities as “ candidissima,” but with smaller flowers. $1.00 each. NYMPHA4HA ALBA CANDIDISSIMA. This is a large-flowered variety of the Water Lily of England and other parts of Europe. Though not a tropical species, it does not object to a warm climate, and does finely under the same conditions as the tender ones. When raturalized in still water, with a very rich soil, it will produce leaves thirteen inches wide, and flowers six inches in diameter. The latter are pure white, the petals being very broad and much more waxy than those of N. odorata. It begins to flower earlier, and continues in bloom for a much longer time, than that species. It is a great favorite with us, and the universal testimony of our customers goes to prove everything we have said in its favor. $3.00 each. NYMPHAA ALBA ROSBA (N. Alba Var Sphzerocarpa Rosea). A variety which was first discovered in Sweden, and has received great praise in Europe. It is like N. alba, except that the flowers are deep pink, shaded to lighter pink at the edge. Very choice. $10.00 each. NYMPHZIA FLAVA (The Yellow Water Lily). A charming addition to any collection, having leaves variegated with brown, and flowers nearly as large as those of N. odorata. They are of a bright golden yellow color, and deliciously scented, something like Locust-tree blossoms, but more delicate. Per- aa hardy at the North, but should have a warm position in Summer. 50 cents to 1.00 each. NYMPHAIA PYGMAAA (The Dwarf Chinese Water Lily). A little gem, producing leaves from two to three inches across, and deliciously scented white flowers no larger than a silver half dollar, which open at noon and close at sunset, It has the additional merit of being hardy. Young plants, $2.00 each; large plants, $3.50 each. SONNET.—THE LOTUS. [The Cunrury Magazine for January, 1854.) *‘ Love came to Flora asking for a flower That would of flowers be undisputed queen ; The lily and the rose long, long had been Rivals for that high honor. Bards of power Had sung their claims. ‘The rose can never tower Like the pale lily, with her Juno mien.’ ‘But is the lily lovelier?’ Thus, between Flower factions rang the strife in Psyche’s bower. ‘Give me a flower delicious as the rose, And stately as the lily in her pride——’ ‘But of what color?’ ‘ Rose-red,’ Love first chose, Then prayed: ‘No, lily-white, or both provide.’ And Flora gave the lotus, ‘ rose-red’ dyed And ‘lily-white,’ the queenliest flower that blows.” RARE WATER LILIES. 21 NELUMBIUM SPECIOSUM. The beautiful lines just quoted were written by Toru Dutt, a highly gifted Hindu poetess. They so accurately describe this Nelumbium as to leave no doubt that it is entitled to the name of “ Lotus.” It was cultivated in Egypt, in most ancient times, where its seed was known as the “Sacred Bean.” It is the “ Sacred Lotus” of India and China, and is also cultivated in Japan. This wonderful plant, though coming from such tropical and semi-tropical regions, has proved to be entirely hardy in this country, enduring any degree of cold, short of actual freezing. We have, for many Winters, kept 22 E. D, STURTEVANT’S CATALOGUE. it in water, upon the surface of which ice formed from four to eight inches thick. No aquatic plants have a more tropical aspect than Nelumbiums. We have naturalized it, in one corner of a mill pond, where the mud is very rich, and where, in Summer, could have been seen, among abundance of noble leaves from one to two feet in diameter, a hundred buds, in all stages of development, and twenty expanded flowers at one time. N. luteum is a beautiful plant, and well worthy of a place in any collection, but N. speci- osum far surpasses it in ease of culture, rapidity of growth and freedom of bloom. It will flower the first season it is planted, which is seldom the case with N. luteum, and is constantly in bloom from July till late in October. In the ‘‘ Water Lily Garden,” N. speci- osum has produced some leaves thirty inches across, on foot-stalks five and six feet in length, and flower-stalks of a total length of from five to seven feet. The first day the flowers appear like gigantic tea-rose buds, of a bright rose color. The second day they open like a tulip, the base of the petals being creamy white, most beautifully and deli- cately shaded off toward the end into bright pink. In their last stages of expansion they measure from ten to thirteen inches from tip to tip of petals. They are also delight- fully fragrant. The plant is of a rambling nature, and, when placed in a pond, spreads rapidly. If grown in a Lily tank, along with a general collection, it should be planted in the separate compartments specially arranged for it. It may be grown in a large tub, but better in basins such as we have described. It should not be planted till the grow- ing season has fully arrived, but we will ship to southern customers earlier than to northern. Flowering tubers, $3.50 each. Strong tubers, $5.00 each. NELUMBIUM LUTEUM (American Lotus). Though a native of this country, it is notcommon, There is scarcely any difference between this and N. speciosum, except in the color of the flowers, which is of a rich sul- phur yellow. They are as large as a quart bowl, and have a strong fragrance, entirely unlike that of a Nymphza. Still, warm water and very rich soil are the conditions for success with these noble plants. A large patch of them, with hundreds of flowers and buds, is a sight never to,be forgotten, Tubers, $1.50. NEW JAPANESE NELUMBIUMS. Could our customers know something of the pleasure we have experienced in culti- vating Nelumbiums, they would then realize with what delight we hail the acquisition of new varieties of these charming plants. We now offer a limited number of tubers, grown from direct importations from Japan. Their habit and general appearance is the same as N. speciosum, but some have larger and bolder flowers, of a more globular form, and distinct fragrance, Nelumbium nuciferum album striatum. The flowers of this are white, the edge of each petal irregularly marked and splashed with crimson. A magnificent and distinct variety. $8.00 each. Nelumbium nuciferum delicatum. This has flowers of a delicate shade of pink, lighter in color than N. speciosum. $6.00 each. Nelumbium nuciferum kermesinum. A variety with flowers of a beautiful cherry-pink color. $10.00 each. Nelumbium nuciferum Flore Pleno (New Double-Flowered Lotus). The foliage of this is smaller than the others. The flowers are double white, edged with pale green. $10.00 each. JAPANESE NELUMBIUM SEEDS, Nelumbium nuciferum (mixed varieties). Those who wish to have Lotus flowers the first season will, of course, plant tubers. But to those who are willing to wait a year or two for bloom we offer seeds gathered from one of the finest collections in the world. Each packet contains seeds of mixed varieties of various shades of red, rose, pink and white. Each nut should have a hole the size of a pin drilled in its shell, with the point of a penknife, or by using a file, to allow the moisture to penetrate the kernel, or otherwise they will not germinate. They should then be planted in warm water in a greenhouse, or, if it is desired to plant them in a pond, it should not be done until warm weather, and then in water about one foot deep. Packets of six seeds, 50 cents. Fifteen seeds, $1.00. RARE WATER LILIES. 23 LIMNANTHEMUM NYMPHA+OIDES (Villarsia). This European relative of our American Floating Heart is perfectly hardy. Its Nymphea-like leaves are variegated with brown, The flowers, which are freely produced, are about an inch across, of a golden yellow color, beautifully fringed, and stand erect like the Water Poppies. Should be grown in shallow water. 50 cents each. LIMNANTHEMUM LACUNOSUM (Floating Heart). A native species, which at first sight appears to be a miniature Water Lily. Its leaves are from one to two inches in diameter, beautifully blotched with brown, giving them an appearance similar to those of the Cyclamen. The flowers are white, about half an inch across, and very curiously borne upon the same stem which bears the leaves. The plant blooms freely all Summer, will grow in either shallow or deep water, and would make a charming plant for the aquarium. 25 cents each. APONGETON DISTACHYON. A highly interesting tuberous-rooted water plant, which, though perfectly hardy, does not do well in Summer, if kept too warm. We recommend that it be tried in cool spring water. It flowers freely all Winter if kept in a greenhouse. Its leaves are oblong, about six inches by two. The pearly-white flowers, with black anthers, are pro- duced in curious fork-shaped spikes, and are deliciously scented. $1.00 each. TRAPA NATANS (The Water Chestnut). This is a hardy annual aquatic, bearing, from the midst of a rosette of green leaves, small white flowers, which are followed by good-sized nuts with several sharp thorns. These nuts are edible, and taste something like a cocoanut, After once being planted in a pond it will reproduce itself from year to year. Plants, 25 cents each. JUNCUS ZEBRINUS (The Porcupine Plant). This is a true rush, growing from one and a half to three feet high, producing leaves variegated in exactly the same manner as a porcupine quill, with alternate bands of green and pure white. It may be grown either as an aquatic or as a garden plant, but should never be grown with the crowns of the plant under water, for then the leaves lose much of their variegation. Perfectly hardy. 50 cents each. The following plants, though native, are not unworthy of cultivation : SAGITTARIA VARIABILIS (the Arrow-Head). A native plant suitable for shallow water, growing about two feet high, bearing arrow-shaped leaves and pearly-white flowers. 25 cents each; $2.00 per dozen. SAGITTARIA GRACILIS. A small variety of the above, having linear leaves, with linear, very long, acute and spreading lobes, forming an arrow of peculiar shape. Flowers white, 25 cents each. PONTEDERIA CORDATA. Another interesting plant for shallow water, with heart-shaped leaves and spikes of blue flowers, produced all summer. 25 cents each; $2.00 per dozen. CYPRIPEDIUM SPHOTABILH. This is the most beautiful of all North American Orchids, and, in our opinion, finer than any of the tropical species ; grows best in wet places in partial shade, with peat and moss. Flowers white and pink. Good clumps, 50 cents to $1.00 each. 24 E. D. STURTEVANT'S CATALOGUE. LOBELIA CARDINALIS. A mass of this brilliant Scarlet Lobelia is a fine sight. It likes moist places. 25 cents each ; $2.00 per dozen. LILIUM SUPERBUM AND 'L. CANADENSE. These beautiful Meadow Lilies do finely in moist places. 15 cents each; $1.50 per ozen. BAMBOOS AND GRASSES SUITABLE FOR MOIST PLACES. ARUNDO DONAX. This noble plant is the plain, green-leaved Bamboo, and grows to the height of twelve or fifteen feet. 50 cents to $1.00 each. ARUNDO DONAX VARIHGATA. The variegated form of the above, white and green, five feet high. 30 cents to 75 cents each. BAMBUSAS. Aurea'\Variegata, Striped green and yellow. 25 cents. Fortuni Variegata. White and green striped. 30 cents. Metake. Elegant, broad, green foliage. 30 cents. Simonsi Argentea. Green and white striped. 30 cents. ERIANTHUS RAVENNA From nine to twelve feet high, resembling the Pampas Grass, but perfectly hardy. 25 cents ; clumps, 75 cents. HULALIA JAPONICA VARIEGATA. A splendid grass, with leaves striped with white ; sending up stalks from four to six feet high, and bearing curly feathered plumes. 25 cents; clumps, 50 cents and 75 cents. BULALIA JAPONICA ZEBRINA. This is like the above, except that the leaves are marked cross-wise with broad, creamy-white bands, instead of being striped lengthwise. It also bears feathery plumes. 30 cents; clumps, $1.00. GYNERIUM ARGENTEUM (Pampas Grass). The most effective and stately of all Ornamental Grasses, producing, with its graceful foliage and silvery plumes, a grand effect among a group of a similar character placed near ornamental water. 25 to 50 cents. Extra strong, $1.00 each. PANICUM PLICATUM VARIEGATUM (Palm Grass). The leaves are very broad for a member of the grass family, and have the appear- ance of Palm leaves, hence the name. Very pretty and graceful. Must be wintered in the greenhouse. 25 cents. RARE WATER LILIES. 25 PHRAGMITES COMMUNIS (Pond Cane). This grows from six to twelve or fifteen feet high, with jointed stalks which are fine for pipe-stems. It has beautiful grassy foliage, and bears at the top magnificent heads or plumes of a pinkish hue, spangled over with a silvery infloresence. These, heads, when cut and dried, feather out in the most beautiful manner into fluffy, silky plumes, of a soft gray color. The plant grows in water, and makes a fine ornament in the Water Garden, or in acarp-pond. It may also be grown in the garden, like the Papyrus or Cannas, It is a perennial plant, and entirely hardy. 50 cents each. CYPERUS LEPTOCLODDS. A distinct species of Pandanus-like growth, with long green leaves, of a beautiful, glossy green. It grows three or four feet high, producing sedge-like heads, and may be grown in moist places, or as a vase plant. Tender, 30 cents each. SCIRPUS NUTALENSIS. A grass-like plant, with light green foliage, and graceful, tufted heads, similar to Cyperus alternifolius. Height, about twelve to eighteen inches. Fine, either for the margins of water or as a basket or vase plant. Tender, 25 cents each. AQUATICS FOR CARP PONDS. All who are interested in the culture of the German carp are aware that the authori- ties on this subject make it a most essential point that the ponds should be stocked with abundance of aquatic plants, for furnishing food, shade and concealment for the fish, and for attracting aquatic insects. Also, in shallow places, thick masses of water plants afford the material upon which they prefer to deposit their eggs, and for the protection of the fish while in a very young state. We quote from a letter recently received from a gentle- man in Ohio: ‘I am enthusiastic in the cultivation of our fresh-water plants, and it seems to me that you are the first to propose it to the public. I think your industry most opportune, as now the people are starting out in carp culture, and when the carp ponds can be made beautiful, there will be health and wealth combined, i. ¢., whatever is beautiful leads to health, and without it there is no industry.” A pond stocked with these most interesting and useful fish, and with a collection of aquatic plants, embracing our choicest native species, together with the lovely tropical varieties, cannot fail to be an endless source of pleasure and enjoyment, as well as profit. A FEW HINTS. The carp is a vegetarian, and has a propensity for rooting in the mud and feeding upon the fibrous roots which proceed from the rhizomes of Water Lilies and other plants. Any specially choice variety should, after planting, have its roots covered with a layer of large pebbles, to protect them from the fish. In the South all the tender Nymphzas, etc., will do grandly in the fish pond, but they must first be weil started in pots kept in shallow water before planting them out. In one instance, which has come to our knowl- edge, the Victoria regia was grown in a carp pond in a Southern State, and produced leaves six or seven feet in diameter and flowers fifteen inches across. If it is desired to grow the tender Nymphseas in the carp pond, in more northern latitudes, the best results will be obtained by planting them in half-barrels or large boxes, filled with rich compost, and placed in the warmest part of the pond, in water about two or three feet deep, placing around the plants a layer of large pebbles or pieces of slate, as above recommended. LIST OF VARIETIES. The whole list of hardy aquatics which we have heretofore described are adapted to this purpose, Nearly all the hardy Nymphwas, especially N. odorata, produce seeds, which are readily eaten by carp, and should be planted in large numbers, if practicable. 4 26 E, D, STURTEVANT’S CATALOGUE, No grander ornament can be found among hardy kinds than the Nelumbiums, especially N. speciosum. These should be planted in about one foot of water. To prevent the fish from disturbing them until thoroughly established, a space of ten or twelve feet in diameter around each plant should be enclosed by a little fence, made by pushing old barrel staves into the mud, leaving them about half an inch apart. Besides these mentioned, we offer the following desirable kinds: Each Per Doz, Nuphar advena (Yellow Mud Lily)................ccer sadeneoducerswem aia ieee MeUiG: $1.50 ING phar: Pee re cages hess ss coccen~ cecavstcoessenusnde=