234 PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



quet is finished. The handle is trimmed with bouquet 

 green, or fine leaves of any evergreen. The handle is cut 

 to about three inches, and being a hand bouquet, is 

 wrapped with tin-foil, wound over, and neatly tied above 

 with a bow of white taffeta ribbon. 



The outline of the bouquet must be carefully kept as 

 the work proceeds, and sufficient moss from time to time 

 packed lightly in front and immediately under the 

 flowers. By this means the weight of the structure is 

 borne by the stems, the flowers being only allowed to 

 touch each other. Moss not only serves well to keep the 

 flowers apart, but acts as a sponge when the bouquet is 

 set in water, giving moisture to flowers with the shortest 

 stems ; and bouquets thus made are more durable than 

 the casual observer who gazes regretfully on the be- 

 headed flowers is apt to imagine. When, in addition to 

 the moss, a piece of wet cotton is stemmed to every 

 flower (as the writer has all good work done), the natural 

 stem is not unkindly superseded. The maker must work 

 with a tight thread, to prevent the flowers getting out 

 of place, and keep a clean surface on the handle. Another 

 method of bouquet making is to tie a ball of moss rather 

 loosely on the bouquet stick and insert the flowers (which 

 are stemmed to suit the work), drawing them down to 

 the desired position, and tying as the work proceeds. 



Vase bouquets are made similarly, with more green 

 "backing" between and around the flowers, for loose 

 arrangement and to support the greater weight. Flower 

 baskets are lined with tinfoil, or, if not likely to show 

 after filling, any tough paper will serve the purpose; 

 they are then filled with sawdust, rounding above, 

 damped and covered with wet moss ; a border of arbor- 

 vitae, bouquet, or other greens, is set around to support 

 the over-hanging flowers. The flowers, stemmed on 

 twigs, are now inserted according to the taste of the 

 worker, with moss packed between them as the work 



