Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-18
Some of the Wonders of Aquatic
Plant Life.
A GIANT AMONG The FLOWERS
Hints as to How to Make a Water
Garden.
THE VICTOR RIA REGIA

are in taei- fullest bloom. She is extremely
fond Of them. and vases in the rooms of
the " hitc House kept filed with them
when she Is here in summer. From the
window Of her boudoir she looks out
upon a large circular pond. stone curbcI.
I'm which the most beautiful varieties of
lilies from all over the world are growing
ConspicuoCs among them is the wonderful
Victoria Ees;ia. with leaves six feet in
diameter looking like enormous trays. with
the ei.;es turned up four inches all around
The South American Indians in the region
of the AUIaZ0ns. put their children on these
floating platte.s while gathering the seeds
OF the plant for use as food. That Is moth
ing surprising. for a fully-developed leaf
will sustain a 2Do-pound man. The leaves
grow slInetrnes at the rate of half an inch
m hour or eight inches n day. The flowers
OF this giant among water lilies are fifteen
inches across. They are white when they
hrst open. turning to pink on the second
day.
One Of these blossoms would serve as a
eorsage bouquet. but Trs. Cleveland would
hardly think Of using them for that DUR
pos; Tor they are thoTny up to the very
petals, II - an interesting fact that the
nrst Victoria Regta that bloomed in the
intel states was grown in a big tank at
the White House. The place of honor was
kNeh 10 II In the aquatic house which
A
tories. Bot during Andrew Johnso1's adj
miniStrfiion this water garden under glass
was destroyed by fire and 1t was never re-
Duiit other fountain basins in the White
Hous, grounds are utilized for water oar
deniEg on small but artistic sca-s This
pfarch or horticulture - extensively carried
sn m we PARKS OF washington. 1t was
nrst attempted here 1curteen wears ago nv
hehry fnster. than as now, in charge of
1ne esrdens OF the Executive Mansion
Inc earnest trial was made in tine stone
nj
the Presidelt's dwelling At nearly tho
same time DIT. HesseI began experiments
with hardy water lilies IN the ponds used
Tor pr"p3S1tpg carp and other fishes near
the washington Monument.
How the Lilies irc Grown.
These fish ponds are a beautiful sigh, ot
thls season of the year half a dozen gIassv
htue lakes being fairly covered with lilies
OF almost every color of the rainbow. The
varieties represented have been BROUGHT
onslhaiy from Japan. Zanzibar and other
fardway parts Of Tire world Only a small
nlh0TliE are native To the United States
Ut. EesSei has suCC eeled in making Some
Crosses between tropical and hardy Iiiias
That viii winter out Of doors in this I1tI-
tude bf course. only hardy kinds are suit
abie Tor growing in ponds so far north "a
IRIS Mrs Cleveland'S lilies are propagat1d
IN the White House green horse for plant
ng out None Of them are raised for show
onIer gLss: In early summer boxes Of
earth containing the bulbs are placed in
the fountains. where the plants are Icft to
develop. In the autumn the boxes with the
plants are removed To a cool place. where
they are permitted to remain until the next
spring. Then the plants are taken out of
the boxes, the leaves and stalks being
dead, and the living roots are divided and
planted anew in pots Of fresh. rich soil
until they are ready for the fountains
again.
The tubers OF tropical lilies however. re-
quire more particular care. They must be
in Il
the temperature does not exceed fifty de-
grees, in order that they may remain dor
mant In warm place they would sprout
Since the burning of the aquatic house at
tached to the White House there has been
no water garden under glass in Washing
ton, There are two aquatic green houses
IN PittsSurg and two in Chicago. Pond
water gardens are feature a. every pub
lie park nowadays. while the fountain
basins In city squares are commonly beau
thed with water plants The first park in
which this kind Of horticulture was at
tempted was Fairmount Park, Philadel-
phia. The beauty Of Central Park, in New
York. has been greatly enhanced in this
way. The culture Of water plants Is rap
Idly extending in this country. Fifty years
ago II practically confined to few
show gar1ens OF Europe At Chatsworth.
a country seat OF the Duke of Devonshire.
the first Victoria Regia brought to Europe
displayel its Incompatible blossoms. There
also orig mated the finest Of all water lilies,
II the Victoria Regia be excepted-the su-
perb DevOniensiS.
The Queen of Lilies.
To Edmund d. Sturtevant is due the cred
IL of having introduced water gardening in
the United States twenty years ago. or
late a number OF new varieties of lilies have
been obtained by cultivation. the most not
able ones owing their existence 70 French
man. named Latour-Narliac. One of the
most beautiful kinds is named after him.
Seeds Of even the rarast water lilies may
r1sNrt- frrfsfa hFft hay
Feeds OF the Victoria Regia cost s. dozen.
or one can buy young plan- for $40. This
most wonderful Of all aquatic plants may
be grown IN open ponds in the southern
states. Success with the Victoria Regia re-
Quires good deal of care in this latitude.
In early spring the seeds must be placed
ia wattr. which is kept uniformly at tenn
perature OF 50 to % degrees. After germi-
mating hey are planted in pots Of earth.
Early in June they should be placed in a
bed Of very rich soil In a tank or water
basin thu; is fully exposed to the sun. The
plalts grow with astonishing rapidity. and
a single will cover a space of water
thirty feet in diameter. On the first night
OF blooming TIA flowers are a lovely white
and eknaie 4 delicious perfume resembling
that of p-nslpp!es
Not less notable In its way than the Vic
toria Resia is the Egyptian lOtus-a kind %
water lly that Is obtaining Immense
popularity in this country. Its flowers are
superb looking like great pink tulips This
Il the lotus plant that grew wild once upon
time along the banks Of the Nile though
II no longer does so. II is surmised thai IL
may have been brought originally to Egypt
from india. where IL Is known to be native
III SO. II must have been fetched to the land
or the pyramids before the earliest OF the
historic dyrastiss. II was regarded as the
emblem Of the Nile and the symbol of the
Creation ~ he world from the waters In
Idct the lotus was a sacred plant In an
Gent Egypt IL was cultivated in tanks. ana
al teasts people wreathed their heads with
the hcweFs- In many sculptures on the
tonos they appear. One OF the blossoms
Was commonly presented TO each guest AT
funeral The lotus Ia had an immense
lnnuer &C upon architecture. Its leaves and
-Dusis ao1car in the capitals OF classic cot
iumns. AMI IN every sort of antique deco
tauVS carving II is the motive most fro
9ueAty chosen The art work OF Janan
INTO Nhich country IL was imported ts in
spired b. u 10 a greater extent than by any
thing else in nature
The Water Gardener.
The Hover petals fall and leave bebtra
seed cups three inches In diameter The
big seeds contained in these vessels. which
are shaped like the rose OF a WATERING
pot. used TO be called Egyptian beans, by
ancient Greek and Latin writers Thav CO,