THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



15 



may be used with decided benefit. Train 

 oil, and other tish oils liave been used with 

 success; but in applying the latter, care 

 should be taken uot to touch the buds. 



Waterproof Walks. — Take two parts of very 

 dry lime rubuish, and one part coal-ashes, 

 also very dry, and botli sifted fine. In a dry 

 place, on a ury day, mix them, and leave 

 a hole in the middle of the heap, as brick- 

 layers do when making mortar. Into this 

 pour baling hot coal-tar; mix, and when 

 as stiff as mortar, put it three inches thick 

 where the walk is to be ; the ground should 

 be dry, and beatea smooth. Sprinkle over 



it coarse sand. When cold, pass a light 

 roller over it; in a few days the walk 

 will be solid and waterproof. 



Bees, to Feed. — Two pounds of loaf sugar, 

 with half a pint of liquid, consisting of one 

 quarter best vinegar, and three quarters 

 water, the whole boilnd together, until it 

 assumes a yellow colour; then poured into 

 a well greast-d dish, and cut up before cold, 

 into strips convenient for insertion into the 

 hives. Should it candy on cooling, it is a 

 proof that it has not been boiled enough, and 

 should be returned to the saucepan without 

 water, aad boiled again. 



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DRESSING FLOWERS FOR SHOW. 



Having, in a former number of the " Floral 

 World," expressed mj' objection to the 

 practice of " dressing," it is not necessary to 

 repeat my sentiments; all that I want to do 

 now, is to call attention to the Crystal 

 Palace Show, a poor affair, merely a re- 

 chauffee of the Stoke Newina;ton Fancy 

 five shillings for a fourth prize, where, of 

 course, all the cut flowers were trimmed and 

 dressed, with one exception, however, viz., 

 Mr. Salter, of Hammersmith, who exhibited 

 two new varieties, Golden Queen, and Prince 

 Albert, precisely as grown on the plants, 

 the flowers surrounded by a circlet of beauti- 

 ful foliage, like birds reposing in their nests. 

 To compare the dressed ones with these 

 would be absurd ; at least, so I think. The 

 following simile suggested itself: the dressed 

 flowers reminding me of queen Eliz ibeth — 

 stiff, starched, formal; whilst Mr. Salter's 

 two flowers put me in mind of the simple, 

 but elegant and graceful Mary, Queen of 

 Scots. 



I do not write invidiously, because, at the 

 Palace, I did not get a prize. The twelve 

 flowers I showed were the very same for 

 which, at Stoke Newington, I was awarded 

 a fourth-class prize, but, not being touched- 

 up again, re-plugged, and re-tubed, of 

 course, among their newly-dressed neigh- 

 bours, they cut but a so-so-ish figure. At 

 the South London (Caraberwell) Society, 

 I obtained two first-class prizes for twelve 

 large, and six anemone flowers, all not 

 dressed, but just as cut from the plants. I 

 am told that, try as I may, I shall never write 

 down the "dressing" practice. Nousverrons. 

 The system is dishonest, except am-ng 

 exhibitors themselves. The dressed flowers 



are not near so elegant as undressed ones ; 

 and I tell the public that, in purchasing 

 chrysanthemums, if they expect to produce 

 flowers equal to those they see at shows, 

 they will be disappointed, except by tedious 

 artificial means; and whoever sells plants 

 with such a guarantee, imposes upon the pur- 

 chasi-r. Uo away with wooden tubing and 

 pliiggmg ; throw away the steel and ivory 

 tweezers ; show flowers with a collar of fine 

 foliage, placed merely in tin tubes of water ; 

 exhi 'itions will then be more pleasing, and, 

 certainlj-, more reputaiile. It is said that 

 the public would not come to look at m«- 

 dressed flowers. It's all fudge; and only 

 asserted by those who know that their 

 prizes depend upon their skilful manipulation. 

 At an exhibition next year (say a public 

 place, like St. James's Hall), let me suggest 

 tne following: — That there be a stage for 

 '•'dressed," and another for "undressed" 

 flowers ; the former subject to the process of 

 petal-removing, eye-extracting, or, more 

 properly, eye-easincf, tweezering, petal-ad- 

 justing and curling, wooden-tubing, tighten- 

 ing, fixing, &c. ; the latier simply cut from 

 the plant, with the foliage attached, and 

 placed only in tin vessels of water, for keep- 

 ing them fresh. I bet a wager that the un- 

 dressed flower exhibitors might, and would, 

 proudly and justly, adopt the motto, " Veni, 

 vidi, vici,'" and that the public would cer- 

 tainly approve it. 



William Worth, 



Burnt-ash-lane, Lee, Kent. 



N.B. — In praising Mr. Salter's flowers, 

 you will understand that I am perfectly un- 

 known to him ; I merely write for honest 

 flower shows. 



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