HOME DECORATION. 435 



most difficult. Eose cuttings may be struck at any time of tlie year and in a 

 warm place, if the wood is young. They may be struck in a tumbler of 

 sand, washing the sand carefully out in a basin when the roots apj)ear. 

 The "saucer system" of striking rose cuttings is applicable to cuttings of 

 many plants which I have failed with by the ordinary methods. I would 

 advise those who attempt it not to be impatient, and, above all, not to for- 

 get that the hot sun soon causes the water in the saucer to evaporate. — The 

 Fruit Becorder. 



HOME DECORATION. 



We are pleased with the idea of the Forest and Stream that j)eople should 

 provide grasses for bouquets, and, as it sa^'s, "Just at present in meadows 

 and hedgerows the different varieties of wild grasses can be obtained in 

 perfection, and they should be much more extensively employed in floral 

 decorations than they are, for not even the most delicate greenhouse fern 

 will give the same airy look to a vase of flowers that a few sj^ikes of wild 

 grasses will impart. It is only a few j^ears since they were first brought 

 into requisition, and ever since — especially in England — their use has been 

 steadily increasing. It is a good plan to lay in a store of the difterent vari- 

 eties of grasses at the present time for use during the winter months, when 

 they cannot be obtained in the fields. In cutting them for this purpose 

 ■each variety should be tied in separate bunches, and care should be taken 

 that they are not bruised together ; for if this is the case when the bunch 

 is opened each spike will be found to have dried in its crushed position, and 

 its form will thus be quite spoiled and its value for decorative purposes de- 

 stroyed. All grasses should be dried in an upright position, j)articulariy 

 those of a drooping character. Oats and rye while still green are also very 

 pretty in large arrangements, ears of black oats which are seldom seen used 

 and which form a striking contrast to grasses and sedges. 



To Preserve the Natural Colors of Dried Plants. — The following 

 method of doing this is given in a German pharmaceutical journal, and will 

 interest botanists and others : Dissolve one part of salicylic acid in 600 

 parts of alcohol, heat the solution to boiling in an evaporating-dish, and 

 draw the whole plant slowly through it, prolonged exposure discolors 

 violet flowers; shake off" any excess of liquid, dry between blotting paper, 

 and press in the usual manner. A frequent renewal of dry blotting pads, 

 particularly at first, is desirable. Thus treated, plants are said to dry 

 rapidly, furnishing beautiful specimens, which retain their natural colors in 

 greater perfection than by any other process. — The Fruit Recorder. 



