.96 



THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



A Vase of Roses. 



wished to see those at the other end 

 he or she had to lean over at a tilting 

 angle. Reason has abolished all this 

 and whatever flowers are used now are 

 in low baskets or trays or vases with 

 flowers on their natural stems. This 

 wiping out of these very artificial ar- 

 rangements may be a loss to some 

 classes of florists, but who can regret 

 the more natural and beautiful use of 

 flowers which prevails today. 



Baskets or trays are still used for 

 holding the roses, carnations, violets 

 or orchids, but we expect to see these 

 go soon and all flowers used in vases 

 of some kind for all decorations. They 

 last better, they look better, it is bet- 

 ter taste and more comfort to the 

 guest to look upon a vase of roses 

 whose petals and leaves are plump and 

 fresh than upon those whose heads 

 begin to droop, for you will be of a 

 strange build yourself if you do not 

 feel a wilting come over your spirits 

 in a more or less degree when you 

 look upon a wilted arrangement of 

 flowers. The wilted dude rolled in the 

 gutter over night is not a more piti- 

 able sight than a basket of roses that 

 have collapsed. And the less our cus- 

 tomers see of these wilted flowers the 

 better. 



At smaller dinner parties Maiden- 

 hair fern or Farleyense or asparagus 

 sprays are strewn on the table and 

 here and there some flowers of the 

 choicest kinds, rose buds, orchids or 

 lily of the valley. This is a beautiful 

 arrangement and most pleasing to the 

 guest if not overdone. Very seldom 

 now that any design of flowers, wheth- 

 er for the table or a gift, is made of 

 more than one or two varieties of 



A Vase of Carnations. 



