360 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN 



The Bamboo is particularly difficult to preserve. The inner 

 divisions are generally removed, and the inside of the tube filled 

 with spiced water or other stimulants. The object of these 

 methods is to get the water to rise in the stem, so that the 

 vitality of the bouquet may be preserved for days. Other 

 means are resorted to in order to prevent the advanced blossoms 

 falling off or dropping. In the case of some large and heavy 

 flowers, invisible Bamboo spikes are employed to keep them 

 erect. Salt is also applied at the base of certain blossoms, to 

 keep the connection moist, and thus defer the shedding which 

 often takes place owing to dryness. 



The flower-vases are made of wood, porcelain, pottery, 

 bronze, brass, iron, and basket-work, with wooden, earthen- 

 ware, or tin receptacles inside for holding the water. They 

 vary as much in form as in material, the most common 

 standing vessels being broad and flat, or long-necked, opening 

 out to a broad flat surface at the mouth ; tall, narrow vases are 

 also used. With the ordinary tall vase, whether of wide or 

 narrow mouth, the height of the flowers- is generally fixed 

 as one and a half times that of the vase. In the case of broad, 

 shallow receptacles, the height of the floral composition is made 

 about one and a half times the breadth of the vessel. Vases for 

 hooking on to walls and for suspending from a shelf or ceiling- 

 are also frequently used. 



Having thus briefly quoted from the main principles of this 

 Japanese art as given by Mr. Conder, I shall now make a few 

 homely suggestions as to how they could be applied by any 

 of us in England. 



The following practical directions may be found useful to 

 those who wish to try this system of flower arrangement at 

 once with as little trouble and as little expense as possible : 



Go round your house and collect all the china, earthenware, 

 and metal vessels that can be spared even a kettle, if nothing 

 else can be found, would do. Earthenware dog-troughs are 

 specially adapted to water decorations; three-legged witch's 

 cauldrons and common salt-jars also do very well ; an ordinary 

 earthenware flower-pot, with the hole at the bottom corked up, 

 would lend itself to wedging purposes ; and every house con- 

 tains some ornamental pottery, bronze, brass, or silver vessels 

 of a suitable kind. Glass cannot be used, as the pressure of the 



