t44 State Horticultural Society. 



of a dozen or two, all the same length, and sets the three up in a vase 

 at irregular heights, with plenty of the peony foliage attached to the 

 flower stem to keep it in its natural position, with the result that he 

 has, as you may have, a most graceful, if somewhat novel, effect, where 

 each separate bloom shows its whole rounded form and the fine detail 

 of its many petals. Of course, we often want a good mass of color, 

 and then our usual method is suitable, but take the eaxmple of our mis- 

 treated pansies ; most of the time you see several put closely together 

 in a little vase or all spread out even and flat in a shallow dish; the 

 Flowery Kingdom artist or his imitator would undoubtedly gather such 

 blossoms with a stem, bearing some of the foliage, and arrange them in a 

 clear crystal cup, so that we might see each flower distinctly, its velvety 

 colors thrown in relief by the dark green of the leaves. If you can not 

 spare any of the plant stem and leaves, use fine ferns or other soft green 

 stuff. Daffodils, narcissus, gladioli, daisies or Marguerites, sweet peas 

 or syringas lend themselves well to this careful individualistic treatment. 



To return to our spring flowers, the little spikes of nodding blue 

 stars, the Scyllas, added also a dainty touch to our collection. One of 

 their chief charms, however, consists in their attraction and service to 

 the bees. You are sure spring now rules the earth, since she has sum- 

 moned even the happy bee to its work. 



In the same beds with crocuses and scyllas are rows of hyacinths, 

 all colors. I like the single Roman ones best or the large double ones, 

 after the bulbs are older and the dense spikes have stretched themselves 

 out into more graceful proportions. Rows of yellow daffodils find room 

 in this same small spot of earth, enough to at least suggest Wordsworth's 

 host of golden daffodils. 



Tossing their heads in sprightly dance, 

 So that my heart with pleasure fills 

 And dances with the daffodils. 



The dense rows of the long, narrow leaves of the daffodils are not 

 more luxuriant than the similar ones of jonquil or poet's narcissus. This 

 bulb has a surprising little trick of sending up its buds at just about the 

 time when you have given up hope of having any of its flowers at all 

 this year, and though each year it plays the same trick, each year you 

 have the same surprise. The Star of Bethlehem sends up its short, white, 

 starry branches in the same surprising way. This, however, comes after 

 the lilies of the valley. These are a most charming and satisfactory 

 flower. In the bulb bed they are spreading and crowding out the rows 

 of daffodils. The young foliage adds greatly to a bunch of these fragrant 

 lily bells. They are so profuse in bloom that you can give a handful to 

 every caller and carry some to your favorite shop girl; then take up a 



