302 Missouri State Horticultural Society. 



wet with rain ; apriori, if not damp at all, as in the middle of the 

 day. 



Hot water will generally revive flowers that have wilted from 

 having been cut some time. Place the lower part of the stems in 

 nearly boiling hot water until the petals become smoothed out, then 

 cut off the parts that have been in the hot water, put the flowers in 

 lukewarm water and keep in a cool room. 



Flowers, either cut or remaining on the stem, may be kept 

 fresh much longer by keeping the air of the room moist and fresh. 

 In summer the air is apt to be dry and hot, and in winter, when 

 the doors and windows are all closed, the air of the room is kept 

 hot and dry. Keeping the air moist is better not only for the 

 flowers but for the human dwellers in the room. Keeping a pan 

 of water in the room will suffice in hot weather ; in winter it must 

 be kept on the stove. 



In nothing else does good taste make a better showing than 

 the arrangement of bouquets. An eye naturally acute or else arti- 

 ficially trained to critically notice colors is essential. For the ar- 

 rangement of flowers in bouquets no all-sufficient rules can be giv- 

 en. There must be either a natural talent for blending colors ar- 

 tistically, or else an ability to do so gained by intelligent practice. 

 Yet some hints are* valuable to those who must learn. 



Never put blue and purple together ; never put crimson and 

 scarlet, or bright pink and scarlet, in juxtaposition. The result is 

 always bad and destructive of pleasing effect. Arrange the flowers 

 in shadings of the same colors or in contrast. 



Nature does everything well and no taste is better than hers. 

 She is a good guide to follow. She is always artistic and her 

 bouquets are always beautiful. With every ' flower she puts green 

 leaves for a background. Hence, green leaves are always desirable 

 in a bouquet. They brighten the colors of the flowers and at the 

 same time relieve the eye. Also, the foliage belonging to each 

 plant is usually the best adapted to its peculiar beauty. A bouquet 

 of Camellias alone would be chilly, cold, devoid of beauty . or 

 effect ; but combine the blossoms with the rich, glossy foliage and 

 the effect is charming. Every one exclaims : " How beautiful." 



In every bouquet or dish of flowers it is safe to have a plentiful 

 mixture of white and neutral tints. After green, the safest color 

 is white. But white is for the foreground, green for the back- 

 ground. Neutral tints brighten bright, showy colors and save the 

 bouquet, also, from ''loudness." 



Do not crowd the flowers. This is a common fault. 



