THE EVERLASTING FLOWER 



AND 

 SOME COMMON EXOTICS 



THE AUSTRALIAN STAR-FLOWER AND PLANTS FROM 

 ORIENT AND TROPICS 



NOT long ago I received a tentative order for 

 ten million clustered flowers in a single lot. 

 The order came from a French mil- 

 liner, who stated that unless he could get at least 

 ten million blossoms he could not afford to handle 

 them at all. I was too busy with other things to 

 attempt to fill the order, but the fact that it was 

 given is worthy of record as illustrating the more 

 or less unexpected opportunities that open up 

 before the plant experimenter. 



The flowers that the French milliner wished to 

 use in such quantity are species of Composites 

 known commonly as Everlastings. These flowers 

 have long been popular because they retain their 

 form and color more or less clearly when dried, 

 and thus make permanent bouquets. In recent 

 years, however, the abundance of fresh cut flow- 

 ers has caused the everlastings to be much less 

 popular than they formerly were. 



[VOLUME X CHAPTER V] 



