JAPANESE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT 



made with this object in view. This is why 

 they are wide mouthed and so different from 

 ours of compressed necks; the only means 

 we have of holding flowers in an upright 

 position is by tightening our vases at the 

 neck. 



The Japanese have found that having 

 the opening completely filled by the stems 

 makes the water become foul and also allows 

 no oxygen to enter the stems at their ends. 

 The placing of the flowers one by one through 

 the support, keeping the ends of the stems 

 always an inch or two above the bottom of 

 the vase, allows the flowers to suck up freely 

 all the water they require, while the ends of 

 our flowers are usually sealed by forcing the 

 stems tightly against the bottom of the vase. 

 The Japanese also remove all foliage below 

 the surface of the water. This is not only 

 to show the stems uniting at the base to form 

 the parent stalk, but because it adds greatly 

 to the life of flowers so arranged, since there 

 are no leaves in the water to cause decom- 

 position, which is so injurious to plant life. 



[208] 



