CUT FLOWERS 163 



order to expose the least possible area to the air. When, 

 however, you get the flowers indoors, cut the stems slant- 

 wise in order to expose the greatest possible area to the 

 water. This is important. Flowers with hard stems do 

 not suck up the water readily, but this method of cutting 

 helps them a great deal. Also in the case of very thick 

 stems, slit them up an inch or so, with a sharp, clean 

 knife, making two or three slits on each stem. Then 

 put at once in water. 



The use of very cold or very hard, or of filtered water is 

 undesirable, and hot water, or water that has been boiled, 

 must never be used. Soft water is best, and when the 

 flowers are put in, it should be warmed until it is a few 

 degrees below the temperature of the room in which the 

 vases are to stand. It is also a matter of some importance 

 to change the water frequently. This should be done 

 every day unless permanganate of potash or charcoal are 

 used, when once in two or three days may be enough. 

 The life of a flower is seriously affected by being stood 

 in semi-putrid water, and nothing looks worse on the table 

 than a big glass vase full of bad water. 



At the same time as the water is changed the stems of 

 the flowers can be shortened a little, of an inch up to 

 1 1 in. being cut off, according to the kind of stem. Small 

 soft stems will do with very little cutting, indeed the 

 flowers often last well enough without it, but big woody 

 stems require much more. The use of this cutting is to 

 expose fresh portions to the water, and to enable the 

 flower to drink with renewed vigour. 



Mistakes to Avoid : It is a mistake to stand vases of 

 flowers in sunny windows, or on the mantelpiece when a 

 fire is burning. Flowers will not last long in these positions. 

 Also it is a mistake to stand vases of the more delicate 

 annuals in a draught. Somehow or other the flowers get 

 " chilled " and do not last nearly so long as they might do. 



Another mistake is to put too many flowers into a 

 single vase. Apart from the ugly appearance, it reduces 

 the length of their lives. It is easy to see the reason. A 



