A VILLA-MANSION. 



The first of tlicso produces ;i flower of no beauty, but it is surroundeil by scarlet leaves 

 or bract;e of the most jforgooiis splendor, the heads niea.suriuj; in some ilislaiiccs twenty 

 inches in diameter; these bracta; have a tine etleet when introduced singly or in pairs. 

 In dividing them, insert your knife at the top and pass it down perpendicularly dividing 

 Uie flower and stem into two equal ]>art.s; then sub-divide tliese until you have but one 

 or two bract;c with a small piece of the stem attached to each ; these sections are then 

 to be tied to supports and are then ready for use. Tlie StrcUtzia produces a flower, or 

 rather a- succession of flowers, of a singular shape, but of a beautiful combination of 

 colors. They ajipear in triplets of two beautiful orange and violet petals, and after one 

 set withers they are succeeded by another set from the same calyx or spatiie. Should 

 you cut the whole head you would find it too large and unwieldly, and at the same 

 time lose the succession of blooms. It is therefore advisable to sever the connection 

 and take out the bloom without injury to the rest of the head, and tie it on a stick as 

 before directed. 



There is perhaps no plant so much injured by injudicious cutting as the Camellia. 

 It is of such slow grow^th that should two or three inches of the stem be cut with the 

 flower the plant would not increase one particle in size and the bloom of the following 

 year would be entirely lost. It is therefore absolutely necessary that the flower alone 

 should be gathered and an artificial stem supplied of either wire or wood, or both. It 

 is a fortunate circumstance that this flower deprived of its stem is of longer duration 

 than any other. 



There is a great diversity of taste as to the shape and size of bouquets. That most 

 generally preferred, however, for hand-bouquets is flat or sliglitly oval on top, and about 

 eight inches in diameter. I am aware that they are frequently made much larger, but 

 in my opinion they appear heaxy and cumbrous. The flat bouquet possesses two im- 

 portant ailvantages over the pyramidal or cone-shaped, in not requiring near so many 

 flowers, and also in allowing every flower to be seen at one glance. The pyramid, or 

 cone-shape, is however preferred for large bouquets or table designs. 



The length of this communication warns me that I must close. In my next I will 

 continue the subject and describe the process of putting together the bouquet. 



I A VILLA-MANSION.* 



A VILLA-MANSION was erected by me, a year ago, in the Italian style, which may serve 

 to illustrate the class of house which, under certain requirements, would be fitting for 

 erection elsewhere, f 



The situation for which my services were required to design an appropriate building, 

 was one which, although possessing some peculiar features, had a character not unfre- 

 quently to be met with. The land was elevated, commanding a most extensive view 

 across Long Island Sound, and the intervening and surrounding landscape. It was 

 removed about tw^o miles from the water, and at- the same distance from the village. 

 A public road skirted the upper boundary of the place, and the suiface of the land 



* From « Homes for the People, in S^ihurb and Country, ^^ by Geevase Wiieelee. t See frontispiece, 



