XIX 



A FEW USEFUL HINTS 



HOW TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF CUT FLOWERS 



To get the longest possible life out of cut flowers 

 fill all vases with water every night and take them 

 out of the room in which they have been all day and 

 put them on the floor of the hall ; if the hall is 

 tiled so much the better. It is most important 

 that the glasses are filled with water, not merely 

 taken out as they are, as many flowers, such as 

 Tulips, Daffodils, and others which have fleshy 

 stems, will often empty a narrow vase in less 

 than twenty-four hours. 



When flowers arrive from the florist or are sent 

 in by the gardener the stems should be either 

 broken or cut with a sharp knife, never with 

 scissors. The object of cutting or breaking them 

 is to open the pores or water-passages of the stem, 

 and if scissors are used for the purpose they have 



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