Use of Plant and Flower 237 



mitting a view of each flower in its entirety, will be 

 found more satisfactory than a larger number. Com- 

 pare the appearance of the three flower-stems shown 

 in Fig. LVII, with the appearance of the dozen stems 

 shown in Fig. II, page 38. 



The most appropriate holder for the Iris is a tall, 

 narrow one, widest at the bottom, with a base suffi- 

 ciently wide to prevent tipping. Several inches of 

 sand or fine gravel in a narrow holder will make it 

 less likely to be tipped over by long stems, and if the 

 sand or gravel is perfectly clean and especially if 

 it is white it will not detract from the appearance 

 of even a glass holder. 



The holder should be plain, subordinate to its con- 

 tents. A tall, plain, glass pitcher with a narrow 

 mouth, but wide at the bottom, answers admirably. 

 The ideal holder is tall and narrow, narrowest at the 

 middle, and above the middle has flutes of such size 

 (radius about half an inch) as will hold the flower- 

 stems in place (not allow them to slip together). 



In view of the sentiments associated with Iris, 

 messenger of Juno, from whom we have one of the 

 names of the flower, and the metaphorical use of one 

 of its other names, Fleur-de-lis, the Iris seems to be 

 peculiarly appropriate for Decoration Day in lati- 

 tudes where that is its blooming time, and for use 

 generally as a funeral flower. In classic mythology, 

 Proserpine, one of the greater goddesses, Queen of 

 the lower regions, claimed of the dying a lock of hair 

 as the condition of permitting the agony of death to 

 come to an end, and it was one of the duties of Iris to 

 cut off the lock Iris thus becoming a means of relief 



