FLOWERS. 



358 



FLOWERS. 



" Ladies universally love flowers." This is a re- 

 ark we meet with iu our readiug a score of times 

 . a week, and we meet with nothing more truthful. 

 ,t the late NewTork State Fair, Mrs. Van Namee, 

 " r Kcnsselaer county, exhibited some 300 varieties of 

 ^1 Dwers, and Mrs. Newcomb, of the same county, about 

 Da 30 varieties, and many of them rare and fine. When 

 is remembered that these ladies reside about 300 

 liles from the place of exhibition, all will be ready 

 ) say that they showed at once their love of flowers 

 id their public spirit. Men who refuse to go Bfty 

 r a hundred miles to attend their State Fair may 

 ;ad and learn a useful lesson. 

 The season of flowers is almost over for the year, 

 st we may do a little to prolong their stay. 

 Hyacinths, grown in water, are very pretty, and 

 ive the room a fresh spring-like appearance. Glasses, 

 ith a hollow cup at the top, to hold the bulb, are 

 3ed. It is not good to begin too soon wiih glsisses. 

 'ecember is early enough. After being kept for a 

 w days in slightly damped sand, they should be 

 laced in their glasses. At first the water should 

 aly just touch the base of the bulbs, and the gla.sses 

 loulj be kept in a dark closet until the roots have 

 ttained the length of an inch. Two drops of the 

 Dirit of hartshorn may be added to the water in 

 ach glais, when the bulbs are growing, and when- 

 ver the water is changed. Dark-colored glass is al- 

 'ays to be preferred, as the absence of light is natu- 

 al to all roots. By keeping the glasses in a dark 

 loset, until the roots are full an inch long, the Hya- 

 inths will not get top-heavy, but the roots being in 

 dvance of the leaves, will preserve the p^aut balanced 

 rect. 'J he bloom will also be finer, as the roots will 

 '6 in a state to nourish the leaves before these are 

 irematurely advanced. A piece of charcoal put into 

 ach glass feeds the plant, and prevents putridity in 

 lie water. 



Pot Plants, when they can be kept in health and 

 'igor, are much admired, and nothing can be more 

 )eauliful. In the August nuniber we gave some in- 

 ormatiou about Wardian cases, and now we give a 

 ew designs for ornamental stands. 



Fig 1 is a flower-basket of wiren jrk painted green; 

 n, still better, the basket-work part may be made of 

 3raiswire, and left of its natural color. It is mount- 

 sd upon a mahogany or oak clawed pedestal set on 



castors. A shallow zinc 

 tray is placed within, to 

 prevent the water that may 

 piiss through the pots from 

 falling on the carpet. This 

 tray should have a small 

 waste-pipe attached to the 

 lower part of its bottom, 

 and regulated by a brass 

 cock, so placed, and of 

 such a size, as not to be 

 seen from any part of the 

 room. This is intended for withdrawing the water 

 that may accumulate in them, and so preventing its 

 overflowing, as it may not be convenient at all times 

 to remove the whole of the plants out of the table. 

 The plants are to be packed in moss, kept perfectly 

 green and fresh on the surface. 



Fig. 2 exhibits a very 

 elegant flower-stand in 

 cast iron. The very 

 high state of perfection 

 to which casting in iron 

 has arrived is taken ad- 

 vantage of for ornar- 

 mental purposes. The 

 present flower-stand is 

 worthy of notice, and 

 will not be very expen- 

 sive. There are four 

 movable baskets, a aa 

 a, which move round 

 on the rod b, and may 

 be placed any height 

 and any figure that may 

 please the possessor, to 

 suit the situation in 

 which it is to be placed. 

 The rod 4 moves up and 

 down in the pillar c, till 

 the branch rests at the 

 top of the pillar at d. 

 The branch e is mova- 

 ble, and may be taken 

 ofi the rod, so that the 





Fig. 2. 



brackets may be slipped off at the top, leaving only 

 one or two, according to the number of plants in- 

 tended to be placed thereon. The bottom/ is made 

 of different kinds of ornaments, to suit the taste of 

 the purchaser. The pots g g ai'e merely placed to 

 show that they rest on the leaves fixed at the ends of 

 the brackets. 



