82 Queries and Answers* 



accompanied by plans, of the so much admired grottoes at Ascot Park and 

 Painshill ; the latter of which ( V. 569.) you say that you consider the finest 

 in Europe. — T. A. B. Esthivaite Lodge, Lancashire, Dec. 24. 1833. 



Plans of these grottoes, to be of any use, must be so large as not to suit our 

 work ; indeed, it is hardly possible to convey useful practical ideas of grottoes, 

 cascades, and similar rustic-work, by plans or sketches of any kind. We 

 recommend all who wish to form any such structures to visit, in company with 

 an ingenious stone-mason, who should be employed to execute them, the best 

 models, however distant they may be. Painshill will repay a journey from any 

 part of the island. — Cond. 



Splitting the Rools of felled Trees with Gunpowder. — Sir, I observe this pro- 

 cess going on in Kensington Gardens. Can you or any of your readers inform 

 me if this is done on a principle of economy ; or, if not, on what other prin- 

 ciple it is preferred to the common mode of splitting roots with wedges ? — 

 .7. B. Kensington, January, 1 834. 



Arranging the Colours of Florists' 1 Flowers. — Sir, Your recent remarks on 

 taste, as it regards the variety of colours produced in the grouping of flowers, 

 has induced me to look back to II. 309. of your Magazine. I have long 

 been inclined to the ideas there expressed, though I have never been able 

 to. carry them into full effect for want of materials. Being now, however, 

 more fortunate in hyacinths, tulips, ranunculuses, &c, and particularly in 

 chrysanthemums (of which I have nearly a perfect collection and a great 

 number of plants), I intend to try the effect upon a large scale. But a know- 

 ledge of colours and tints is necessary ; for, although we may take the seven 

 primary colours as a guide, yet the difficulty is to know where ivhites, blacks 

 (which in hyacinths and ranunculuses we nearly have), browns, &c, should be 

 placed. An elucidation, therefore, of what you aptly term " a natural system 

 of colours " and tints (and, if accompanied by coloured figures, so much the 

 better) would be of great use to many who, like myself, have neither 

 milliners nor artists at hand to apply to. I therefore beg, as a favour, 

 your assistance in this matter, and should be particularly glad to see the 

 information in your February Number ; as, early in March, chrysanthemums 

 should be parted and planted. 



If you would fill up the sketch in the last paragraph at II. 312., it would 

 doubtless go far towards realising, at least in the rising generation, your ideas, 

 which seem founded on truth and nature. 



The colours of chrysanthemums are usually called pink, blush, white, buff, 

 yellow, orange, brown, salmon, red, crimson, lilac, and purple (?). Yours, &c- — 

 Solus. Bagshot Heath, Dec. 10. 1833. 



With regard to the difficulty of disposing of whites, blacks, and browns, in 

 the arrangement of flowers, it may be adopted, as a rule sufficient for most 

 practical purposes, that whites look well beside every other colour, even 

 blacks and browns ; that blacks look best next to greens, reds, and whites; 

 and that the same will hold good as to browns. In arranging hyacinths in a 

 bed, or chrysanthemums on a stage, all the varieties having the same colour 

 for a ground should be placed together ; for example, all the reds : but, to pre- 

 vent the monotony that would result from salmon running into crimson, and 

 crimson into lilac, there may be introduced between them streaks of white, and 

 sometimes of black or brown, to keep up the harmony. It must be recollected 

 that, in arranging flowers according to their colours, something of botanical 

 arrangement must also be kept in view. That is, all those varieties which 

 approach the nearest to each other must be placed the closest together. This 

 may frequently be done, and harmony preserved, without the introduction of 

 either whites or blacks ; but, where it cannot, whites or blacks will afford the 

 desired contrast. It is difficult, if not impossible, to give detailed directions 

 on this subject without the aid of coloured plates ; and, even in that case, 

 much must be left to the taste and feeling of the operator. We would recom- 

 mend our correspondent to store his mind with ideas on the subject from the 

 works of Burnet, and of Phillips, on Painting; or, if these works be too 



