October, 1879.
THE WEST SHORE.
11
THE VICTOMA RKOIA.
The Victoria llegia leavea are from six to
eight feet in diameter, anil the item which
beara them up ii a hollow tube aa large round j
aa a atont womau'i wriat Krom the Hem riba
hoot out which are two inchea in ilrpth and
regular compartmenta are formed by intersect
ing riba, resembling nothing ao much aa the ;
frame work of a houae. Spiuea project down
ward from the riba, which are very iharp,
neoeaaitatiug wary handling. The leaf it green
on the aurfaoe, aud a purplish retl beneath.
The tloahy part ia very thm and delicate, ao
much ao, indeed, that the leaat iinprrsuoii will
puncture it, while the loaves aa a whole, thanks
to the compartmeuta underneath, which are
Idled with air, ia very buoyant ami capable of
uataining aatnniahing weight, A healthy baby
I- montha old may be laid on one of them with
security, and a plank atretched over two of them
will bear up candy a full grown man. It growth
under the water it exceedingly interesting, aa
each day the leaves ahoot out and maka for the
urf ace ao faat aa to create the delusion that
on can see them moving or lengthening. Around
dens at Kew ; ucoeaafiillv cultivated also at
Chateworth 17 1 it inike ol lievooehira early
during Victoria's reign. Ita original ditcov
erer waa a Herman scientist named llenke,
who found it growing in the marshea beside the
Urn Mamore, a branch of the Vms in river, as
early at the year I SO I. Sit R II S. Immherg
made a scieulino visit to Uriiish I iuiana, January
1st, I HJ,, ami while sailing hi a canoe up the
liver llerhice, he was aatonndicd to see. for over
a mile of water, that the whole liaain of tha
river wai overspread with huge, round, curiously
margined leaves and hundreds of magnilleent,
white and rose-tinted flowers, each measuring
over a foot iu diameter, scenting the whole at
im. sphere with a rich perfume like tha nine
apple The native" called it "N 're pa," or Wat
1 ter flatter. The planta at K a flowered in
ISM, and between June and November pro
dticed lil llowera.
The root is a large spindle shaped tulier, with
bundles ol fibrous rootlets attached, w hi. ii ap
pear Willi en iv hml ami leal. I he leal is a
hnglit giei 11 above, and a dull crimson beluw,
. with a tiui several inches in width. The nle
I are very prominent, almost an luch high ami are
I eight in number, with similar ones branching
(Vrve or Phllad.drM. jntl 1MT. T1&H&
in KM, and tha earns plants' lived for several
years. One ol them dowered 'JIM times, Tha
plant waa exhibited in I near tha Central
park, New York, and during that rammer pro
luceil , II llowera.
The Victoria llegia has been tueeeeslclly
grown from ths teed at Hidden Data I'ark, Man
rrauciatm, and during its reoent dowering at
trscteil many thousands of visitors by lis won
drous baanly.
I.irria Tumi. Mrs llxrlwrt. In the eier
".in, give the girU the following little lr. lute
A woid of cautiou to uur girl aa to car lor
" little things " it perhaia wholly ueneoiasary
when such testimony Irom lluias whom we muat
love to please la overwhelming apes this point.
The girl who educate herself to uniformly kind
speaking to "brother" aa wall aa to her "ad
niirera will never lie lelt mining at noata while
everybody els is "havinu a gtaet Msae." Though
her drees mav he leea milled than her mates, hei
temper may iw amoather , ll her neighbor la a
lore sprightly rouvcrsalimialui, aha can strive
1 charm by the obliging distribution nl hse
)JBZragifaf(wTyya IMM llUKIt7 ysTssaVfr.xi'.T3sABaieietV sva .sjivMmBaxw' v '
craTswaf KMjrraEw '-ajl nStQswBiZifwSSHSlBW'' lw
tV?T?,'j'" ' iwffiB K ffiRirnl BaHRsaam"'ia!
1 . . MlsaaaWIClsaWatai ' .-v .'aaaaVl L. sWWfxsWtfwaBaaar iTNvpaVwfflrfflu.
Till: yl'KKS 0? WATKIt I.II.IKH THK VICTORIA I1KOIA.
i
each leaf, whan fully developed, is a rim, which
;ivoa it the appearance 01 an iinmouse ii.h..,
t,.h A meha or .milium in this I I 111 la A curious
natural provision against disaster.
Tha flower of the great iiuoen lily poaacsto.
many intareating faaturea. It is front 10 to
I .'.lichee in diameter. It laata in perfection mil)
two days, but the rapidity with which they
mcoeaxl each other on a healthy plant makes
amende for their brief existence. They bloom
...l.a 1. 1 1 I .li.. hi ll.. I etals UIM II
"U BIS Hlgliv. . m ,
with a sudden jerking mulnm, one alUr the
otbtw, and close up promptly at daybreak. n
tha first day tha flower is pur wbita, which
changea on tha second to ao eniuiaite ahaile of
roe pink. Tbane Howafa ara vary rare even in
Kngland, the oountry of tbair adoption, anil
CW, or PDO, ia a moderate) prior for a fair
tUarcifnru.
Mr. A ana GstU Uoee, of Han Prancieoo,
haa mad en Mpecial study of the Victoria RV
having ably reproduced th flower ia wax. nbe
haa also oompiUd aaaiiy intcraatlog fad from
tha huratnr. of th lily, awl from her writ
lop we shall take the following (acta; Tha
Victoria Regie, though indigenous to the
elintaU of tropical America, growing ia
iu mawninoent baanly Ik th rir Amu.
and tta tributary atraama, i( claimed aa an
Knglieh prwdaction, waa named M iu reign
sag (Jaeea, and brought to tha Royal Oar-
off Irom them The stem is in the . outer of
the leal, fully an no h in thirkneea, and hy a
brown, thorny apaearnr. Th leal la pr
duoad in a cycle ol rtv. Twntyflw or SB
leaves appear before the flower bud The leal
ia from 10 to IS feet in !; the flower Irom I'.'
to IH inchea.
The flower stem is over an inch thick near
the calyx, thickly studded with thnmselu' an
inch long. Tha calyx is four leaved, upward
of seven inch long and threw in. he broad.
thick at the lata, creamy whit sol. WW
brown and thorny oattld, meaaaring from 13
t 17 inchea In diamter Th pistil and
stamens are numer.!, the stamens growing
like pointed seal amend tha ptaliU. th oat
aid row, SO in number, forming a er.rwo trusted
th reet The color of th ataman te a brilliant
yellow tlpiaxl in crimaun. The flower petala
ar Irom no to HO ia nambar, or Hire .Italia
sets, each growing smaller near th lemen.
Thr'hrrt row next the Ha met., ar of a bril
liant rests color, pttd and flecked with ertm
arm Th fruit, when rtam, ia halt at kwH aa a
InlUiaed human heavd. and is tall of eeeeW Th.
natives of Noath America call It "mart H.
lagna," for from it tit a fanaa ia p-le.-.
from which a pente cast la ma4, which they
eowaidtr lotary.
Tto ant flower ratswd tha tailed Ua.
waa at Springbrook, la eewatry bewaa oltalafc
tor of km. .ledge when sought NhasjM h..-
ip.,i..n h. an artKlle singer, aha mar plsaas
In williag sen Ice In this art, retkar than la
showy display ol an lnfrtor lalaat t'ompara
lively few people are good Jadgaa of mu.ie, so. I
a willingneee to amues and pUsvae a enmpany
will alien win favor when greater talent will b
ovarlnoks.1 In tboaa Ua ..bligieg Tha polite
ana of tha frenchman who offered a dlaapuoiated
la.lv tha last seal at a favorite ofsere, which h
had proewred baton kef arrival, waa trwe hsaaV
nesa. thoagh oourteay forhada Ita avcsjsa.
l i,.. Ihshnesa, which givaa t aewfthey tha Is
' e.iella seal ..r Ihe nvt daelrabl. MHtuanls
lion, oftea (arnUhaa a key to ehareeter wheeh
ul.--ks the daaar to many aa npyt4 ami
pr iiiahl. In.ndship lUmamlasriag, aa w
must, how meeh M Ills' happi
nlUll
disgusts, th
ep
lllae
litttat Ihlaga,'
"awb appsar to aa
wosvdar et that Ws do
i.eonh.1. awl. with Ihewladom.d a
ir.le the v.d ,4 Ike latere. Whteh
., .,u.aln.'S ..I i.f- f" a I h.rlUM .M ill, In
4tnr th hair that saupemla tha ew.d by a
mora aanlal Ikoagai i iaa eigaiaeani
A waii.aearwa M . resaeatlv I iaaa at
with the see. rllaax that " ha analat aat kaa at
least wilhaal saj.eg a lew .