Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-15
CARING FOR WATER LILIES.
The InterestinE study Of Aquatf.
Plants.

nc HnteEeHtIu8 study OF A0unf
Piants.
From the Chicago Post.
The constant services Of the two men
whom the gardener playfully designatss as
his ducks are required to keep the north
and south lily beds in condition during tho
summer season. The delicate tropical Lilies
and lotus are kept In the big greenhouse
during the winter. and are only brought
forth into their summer quarters when
settled warm weather has made its APP
pearance. Only the hardy varieties. which
are native to the temperate zone. are left
In their watery beds all winter.
That water plant requires a bath may
appeal to the general public as a decidedly
novel idea-yet not a day passes on which
the men who have charge of the lily beds
do not wash the broad floating pads as
carefully as the nurse OF the most petted
child battles her small charge. The toilet
OF ,ne lilies Is always performed In the
early morning. An ordinary hose with
spraying attachment. is the only implement
used. and the fat leaves are showered
with fine mist until every particle of dust
accumulated during the previous day and
night is removed and the foliage looks as
fresh as baby just emerging from its
morning scrub"
These ponds were dug and planted"
SAID Mr. Stromback. about seven years
ago. and have been one of the most at
tractive features OF the park. giving pleas
ure to thousands Of visitors. The shaded
seats on the grassy slopes about the ponds
are almost always well filled. and hundreds
or appointments are made for meetings be-
tween friends at the lily beds
The ponds are about three feet deep ana
all the lilies are planted in large boxes
niled with strongly fertilized soil. These
boxes are about sixteen feet long and four
teen feet wide. 1t Is intended TO fill In the
spaces between the boxes with a slight
depth of soil. in order to make the ponds
a little shallower. The object OF this is to
make the foliage more quickly sensitive to
the suns heat. This is especially desirable
In backward sea son such as the present
enc has been.
Few persons have any adequate idea OF
the value of the plants In these beds. Not
a few tiny plants have cost $40 each. OF
course these were imported and are very
rare. The north pond Is exclusively devoted
to the hardy varieties These are very free
bloomers and were developed by MaIeicack
the celebrated lily grower of France. Our
plants were obtained direct from him. He
is constantly experimenting with new va
rieties and We expect to add to our collec-
ton. In the near future, several of his lat
est and finest productions. While II Is inn
possible to estimate the value of the plants
In these ponds. IL is wholly probable that
they are worth at least 5000.
II the people who come here and take
only a casual survey of the ponds knew the
pleasure to be obtained from even the
slightest investigation into the nature and
habits OF the lotus and the lilies I am sure
we Nouiu nave scores OF students IN this
field where now have one. Take the
beautiful Victoria Randi, for instance The
changes through which its leaves and bios
SONS pass when they appear upon the sur
face Of the water are very rapid. II is a
night bloomer, but the blossom does not
reach perfection Until about IL O'Clock In
the morning. Then II is spread to its full
and the process OF fertilization takes place.
after which II closes and withdraws under
the water. The seeds which are then formed
are as large as small shot
The leaf when IL first pushes to the
face OF the water, Is a boat-shaped AFFAIR
covered with long, sharp needles II rapidly
unfolds the armor of needles being, or
course, on the under side. The leaf ulti-
mately attains a size of six feet I'm dame
ter and has a vertical rim four inches in
height II a board is placed across enc
of these fully developed leaves II will easily
sustain q child weighing 100 pounds. Tho
blossom. which lives for a day only. is as
fragrant as q pineapple. Almost every
other plant has a history interesting
that of the Victoria Randi which / have
only briefly suggested. Very many people
are deeply interested in the fine specimens
OF the Egyptian lotus Others find much
amusement in watching the sunfish about
the edges of the ponds as they hover over
their spawn and drive away every intruder,
always returning Immediately to their par
fish in the ponds but these do not multiply
as rapidly as we wish they would.
when the ponds were started the edges
were very inartistic, but we have been
gradually planting reeds. PUSHES clumps or
papyrus. wild asters and other varieties or
plants calculated to give the shore lines
q more wild and natural appearance"