THE AQUARIUM, APRIL, 1893. 



39 



stratum of water below. The edges of 

 the pan should be deep enough to over- 

 top the flowers and foliage, and as each 

 pan is filled, dip a cloth or napkm in 

 cold spring water, and, after wringing 

 it out, spread it evenly over the surface 

 of the pan. If the latter is over a foot 

 in diameter, some support must be 

 placed in the centre, so as to keep the 

 cloth off the flowers. Another excel- 

 lent plan, where flowers have only to 

 be kept fresh for a few hours, is to 

 spread a wet cloth on a flat board, and 

 to gently lay the flowers on it, covering 

 the whole afterward with a large glass 

 shade or bell glass ; or if this is not at 

 hand, an earthenware, or even a wooden 

 box, may be inverted over them, and 

 will answer nearly as well. This plan 

 may also be modified in the case of 

 bouquets not immediately required. 



The florists keep their choicest cut 

 flowers in close-fitting drawers or boxes, 

 lined with zinc, a layer of moist sphag- 

 num, or wood moss, being laid on the 

 bottom to kee|) the atmosphere cool 

 and moist. Sometimes they are laid on 

 wet moss in a tray and placed on a cool, 

 moist cellar floor, where they will keep 

 fresh for a considerable time. Any of 

 these plans, the main object of which 

 is to check evaporation, may be adopted 

 in cases in which it is requisite to keep 

 flowers for a short time after they are 

 cut, and before they are required for 

 use. Clear water is as good as anything 

 for vases in which flowers are arranged, 

 and if these are of transj)arent material, 

 nothing else can be used ; but wet 

 sand, which may be used in opaque 

 vases, has the advantage of retaining 

 flowers more firmly in their places. 



Our flowers always keep best in clear 

 water, changed every morning, when 

 the bases of the flower stems are cut 

 with a sharp knife, so as to afford every 

 facility for active absorption of moist- 

 ure. 



AQUARIUM PLANTS. 



(Contributed.) 



The Parrot's Feather, botanically 

 known by the long name of Myriophyl- 

 lum proserpinacoides, is a most indis- 

 pensable plant for the aquarium if 

 treated in a certain way. Grown in 

 the ordinary method it looks well for a 

 week or two and then assumes a brown- 

 ish tint on the submerged leaves, while 

 the growing points rise up out of the 

 water. It is, therefore, not very suit- 

 able for large aquariums as it grows so 

 rapidly and looks untidy in a short 

 while ; the best use for it, I find, is in 

 hanging globes ; it can be planted in a 

 very small vessel containing rich soil 

 covered with sand and sunk to the bot- 

 tom. In a week or two it will grow 

 up out of the globe and then hang 

 down over it. When the water is clear 

 and the fish can be seen well, this 

 makes one of the most beautiful objects 

 obtainable for a room window. 



AN AQUARIUM SOCIETY! 



A number of gentlemen of New York 

 City, all enthusiasts in the Aquarium 

 line, met March 12th in that city and 

 formed an Aquarium Society. The 

 society will be known as "Triton" of 

 New York. Baron von Schlichting 

 was elected its president. This is a 

 step in the right direction and we 

 heartily wish the society success. 



The United States Fish Commission 

 wanted to secure our services to ar- 

 range the fresh-water tanks in their 

 display at the Columbian Exposition in 

 Chicago. Other contracts, however, 

 which we had entered into, interfered 

 with this flattering offer. 



