154 PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



must be a certain rounding of outlines, the segment of 

 a circle. Hand bouqets admit of the most formal ar- 

 rangement of flowers, and the tendency of all cultivated 

 tastes in this direction must be admitted as proof, that 

 for this purpose something more than a mere bunch of 

 flowers is required. The American, French, or English 

 lady never figures, even in a book of fashion, in evening 

 dress,holding a bunch of flowers or any odd shaped bouquet. 

 Crude forms, pyramids, balls, &c., can never supersede 

 the slightly rounding bouquet, (fig. 43,) which is likely 

 to continue for all time the true form, like the parasol, 

 which might have been its prototype. Ball bouquets 

 would be handsome enough, but for the handles, which 

 completely destroy the line of beauty. As for those abor- 

 tions of the same form pointed with rose-buds, they are 

 only fitted to convey to moderns an idea of the ancient 

 weapon of war, that was swung by a chain or thong, and 

 which Sir Walter Scott describes the Baron of Smail- 

 holm as carrying : 



"At his saddle girth hung a good steel spertfie 

 Full ten pounds weight and more." 



After form, the most important point in bouquet making 

 is the arrangement of colors. The incongruous mixing of 

 these in a great measure destroys the effect of the finest 

 flowers, while the more delicately the coloring is blend- 

 ed and the more strikingly contrasted, the more perfect 

 and pleasing is the result. Let any one who doubts this, 

 compare a bouquet of the best flowers in which many col- 

 ors are freely used, with one made of pink shading deli- 

 cately from the centre to blush and white, or vice versa, 

 and with a few tiny points of bright scarlet or violet 

 tastefully set amidst the white. 



The arrangement of colors in simple geometrical forms 

 is greatly preferable to a succession of distinct rings in a 

 bouquet. The ribbon pattern is very pretty in a flower 

 bed> but in very questionable taste in bouquet making ; 



