288 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



ones stand out prominently, as it would not 

 if there was nothing to afford contrast. By 

 these contrasts we secure a sort of back- 

 ground, dark or light, as the case may be, 

 against which to display the predominating 

 color and bring out the full beauty of it. 

 In every arrangement of flowers there 

 should be some such contrast. Sometimes 

 the foliage of the flowers used will supply 

 all that is needed, but generally the flowers 

 themselves should supply it. 



As a general thing, we use a great many 

 more flowers than there is any need of in 

 our floral arrangements. We forget or 

 overlook, if we have learned the fact, that 

 strength is not so much in quantity as in 

 quality. An excess of quantity may pro- 

 duce a weak result. The artist, who paints 

 a picture of flowers which you would be 

 glad to hang upon the wall of your parlor, 

 does not crowd his canvas with color. He 

 depends upon the eff'ective distribution of it 

 and the use of contrast to bring out the 

 decorative idea fully. I have seen pictures 



which seemed one great glow of color, and 

 the careless observer would naturally con- 

 clude that the luminous eff'ect was secured 

 by the mass of color used. But analyze the 

 picture and you discovered that the result 

 was secured by a really small amount of 

 color. A few roses scattered considerably 

 against a background of green foliage will 

 give the eff'ect of a great wealth of color, 

 because all the artistic possibilities have 

 been realized by the combination. Try 

 combinations by which this principle is il- 

 lustrated and you will be surprised to see 

 what strong and satisfactory effects are se- 

 cured by the use of a small amount of ma- 

 terial. You will learn from it how to "make 

 a little ^o a long way." 



And bear in mind the fact that most flow- 

 ers are most eff'ective when kept by them- 

 selves. There may be harmony in color 

 without harmony in habit. There are very 

 few flowers which do not suff'er by being 

 massed with others. 



— Home and Flowers. 



ATTEACTIVE CACTI- IV 



GRAFTING THE CACTUS— HOW 

 IT IS DONE— FANTASTIC FORMS 



BY 



J. H. CALLANDER 



WOODSTOCK, ONT. 



SOME ot the Cacti, which make most 

 desirable specimens when- of good 

 size, are so very slow in growth on 

 their own roots that a collector would 

 get tired waiting for them. This is one 

 of the principal reasons for grafting cacti, 

 although it is also done for other rea- 

 sons. Better eff'ects are obtained by hav- 

 ing a trailing or drooping part grafted on a 

 tall stout stem of cereus, as thus, a speci- 



men can be set on a table without having 

 to hang over the sides. Then other curious 

 eff'ects are obtained by putting a globular 

 part on a cereus stock, when, in a very 

 short time the scion is full grown, and 

 blooming freely. To improve the bloom 

 and get it sooner is another object in graft- 

 ing. 



The process is not at all hard, and any 

 one who has some good strong rooted cut- 



