380 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



thoiie of miicli deeper tone when the blossoms are few, and when the foliage 

 amidst which they are laid is dark, is a safe general rule, but a great deal de- 

 pends on the shape and color of the glass and china accessories. The white of 

 Dresden china vases is so intense that the purest flowers would scarcely look 

 their whitest in them. Very light flowers, also, are likely to look darker and 

 less delicate by the striking contrast; or, if very thin and fragile, have their tints 

 too much weakened by the intense white body. A quantity of green is, there- 

 fore, the best fringe for such dishes, and ferns the most suitable of any, eac 

 tiny leaflet showing as it droops on the white edge. The whitest flowers very 

 generally have the sweetest perfume. It might almost seem as if in brilliant 

 ones color had taken the place of scent. In all flower arrangements, whether 

 for vases or flat glass dishes, it is better to put in the green flrst, gradually 

 working up to the required brightness, always remembering that the collection 

 had better lack a flower than have one too many, the object being to make a 

 graceful, refreshing, and suggestive picture. 



For winter bouquets of dried flowers and grasses, nothing is more appropriate 

 than a pasteboard vase suspended from an oak branch on which the acorns and 

 broAvn leaves remain. The vase may be made in any artistic form with outward 

 cui-ved lip, and the exterior may be covered with moss, orpine cones varnished, 

 or a mixture of seaweed, small shells, and imitation branches of coral formed 

 by twigs covered with red or black sealingwax. A little clean sand inside 

 will allow of grouping the flowers to the best advantage. 



A very pretty aod inexpensive ornament may be made with pine cones and 

 grass seed. Place a large pine cone in the mouth of a tall glass partially filled 

 with water. Open the cone slightly and drop lentil or grass seed into the 

 opening. Water must be sprinkled over the cone as often as twice a day, and 

 in a short time the lentils will send up their small green shoots and cover the 

 cone. The scales are opened by placing them in any moderately warm place 

 for a little while. 



Flowers may be preserved perfect in form and color, to be arranged in wreaths 

 or bouquets, and framed and glazed for parlor ornaments, by closely observing 

 the following directions : Take the finest of river or lakp sand, wash it so clean 

 that water when flowing from it will be pure as if from a well ; heat it very 

 hot, and while in that state mix it thoroughly with stearic acid in the proportion 

 of one pound of the acid to one hundred pounds of sand. Let it cool ; take a 

 small common sieve and nail boards under the bottom to prevent the sand run- 

 ning through. Place sand enough in the seive to hold the flowers in position, 

 not covering them ; then, with a sheet of paper twisted in the form of a tunnel 

 or cone, carefully pour in the sand between, around, and over the flowers, cov- 

 ering them about half an inch. Set them by the stove, or in some warm place 

 where the sand will be kept at about 70° Fahrenheit. When tftiey have re- 

 mained long enough remove the boards from the bottom, letting the sand run 

 out, leaving your flowers preserved in perfection. 



The greatest difficulty is to know when the process is complete, different 

 flowers requiring different time. Flowers Avith thick leaves and petals need 

 more than thin light ones. Seven hours are sufficient for some, while others 

 require twehe, or even more. It is best always for a beginner to experiment 

 with a single plant at a time. When the learner has succeeded with a certain 

 variety and noted the time required, others can be tried. 



It should be mentioned that flowers for this purpose should be picked when 

 dry, say at midday, after the dew is off. Those most suitable for preservation 

 in this way are flowers of delicate and fragile texture, as they are more readily 

 permeated by the heat than those with thick, heavy petals. The most minute 

 blossoms may be preserved perfect, and are used with good efi'ect in forming 

 the wreaths. Ferns of every variety give the most graceful green, while dark, 

 glossy leaves, such as those of the myrtle or veronica add greatly to the beauty 



