Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-05-08
WATER LILIES.
GALA LILIES AND LILIES OF THE VAL
LEY NOT LILIES AT ALL


GALA LILIES AND LILIES OF THE VAL
LEY NOT LILIES AT ALL.
A recent lecture in the mechanics
course at North Sheffield hall, says the
New Haven Palladium, was by Prof.
Daniel C. Eaton, and his subject was
"Water Lilies" He said:
The word lily is applied to many plants
incorrectly. 1t is applied to the lily of
the valley, which is no more lily
than is the onion. The word is also
used for the plant styled "calla lily, -
which is not lily at all, but only a very
close relationship to the "Jack-in-the-
pulpit"
The water lily is divided into eight
general and thirty-five or forty different
species. OF the true water lily there are
two species which are exclusively Asiat-
ic. The leaves of these range from four
to ten inches in diameter, are round,
and are so repellent of water that drops
do not rest on their surface at all, being
prevented by globules of air. Our com
mon water lily has flower four inches
in width, encased by four green leaves
and containing from twenty to thirty
petals. The best time to see it is in
early morning. Our water lily has two
other varieties. One is small and pink
ish, found in New jersey. Then there
is the great rose -colored lily, found near
Sandwich, on Cape Cod. The flower of
this lily is beautiful and five inches
broad. L had one of these lilies in tub
some years ago, but it faded year after
year, until it finally became white. Then
there is in Texas the purple lily and in
Florida the yellow lily.
Audubon, in his books on natural
history, associated with the illustra-
tions of birds the trees or sur
roundings in which they were found.
With the swan he connected yellow
lilies. This was thought to be but a
fancy of the great naturalist until in
1877 a lady visiting Florida discovered a
lagoon bearing acres and acres of yellow
lilies. The discovery was hailed with
delight by eminent botanists all over the
world.
There are these four species in this
country. There are others in the West
Indies, Africa, Asia. Madagascar and
other countries. Turning from the beau
tiful water lily we have its poor cousin,
the frog lily, which grows in shallow
pools. There are two kinds in Connecti-
cut, the common large kind and small
er, rarer kind. Ihaye seen this latter in
the Shetucket river, near Williamantic,
and it is also to be found in some por-
tions of the HouSatonic, and also at a
place in North Haven.
The largest water lily known is found
in the lagoons of Central America. 1t
was discovered in 1901, but it was not
named until 1887, when DR.. Lindsey, of
England, named it in honor of his
youthful sovereign, Victoria Regina.
Seeds were taken to England in 1850,
and a little later to Massachusetts, and
in both cases were lilies successfully
grown. The leaves of this lily are i'm
mense, being from four to six feet in di-
ameter, and they have been found as
large as twelve feet in diameter. The
leaf has gorgeously tinted upturned
rims and the floating power is very great.
A half-grown child has rested upon it in
perfect safety. The flower is twenty
three inches in diameter, ranging from
pure white to pink and then to crimson.
The lily is now being grown successfully
by Mr.. Sturtevant, of New Jersey. The
second lily in size is the 'lotus." There
are only two species of this genus. One
is found in Asia and Africa and the 9TH
er in this country. The American lotus
has been growing in pond in Lyme, this
State, for century at least. Its flower
is pale yellow. There are great lagoons
in Wethersfield and Glastonburyin which
am certain this lily must at one time
have grown.
Most of these water lilies may be
grown easily in tub kept in the cellar
during the winter and the garden in the
spring. There is no reason why the cul-
tivation of lilies should not be much
more general than it is.