May 14, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



243 



forest gradually, and in that case it would be far more advan- 

 tageous at once to undertake a systematic treatment of the 

 forest with the view of obtaining from it a steady annual yield 

 of timber. Apart from the advantages of such a proceeding, 

 which have already been indicated, others will suggest them- 

 selves to every practical man who has had experience in tim- 

 ber business on a large scale. It is more economical in the 

 long run to make permanent arrangements for the carriage of 

 timber by land and by water, to build roads, railways, open up 

 streams for floating, than to make temporary arrangements 

 which go to rack and ruin when the forest has been cleared. 

 In a forest worked permanently upon a regular system it may 

 be possible to settle colonies of laborers so as always to have 

 a sufficiently large body of men trained to the work and expe- 

 rienced in it. And in any case the steady and systematic work- 

 ing of a large forest-estate will give the proprietor the benefit 

 of the rise in timber prices which may with certainty be 

 expected to occur in North America. 



From Dr. Mayr's book, and from other sources, we know 

 that some of the more important North American timber-trees 

 have an extremely rapid growth. He describes a forest of 

 the Douglas Fir in south Oregon, second growth, eighty years 

 old, the trees 130 feet high, and 320 trees to the acre, which, ac- 

 cording to his measurements, contained58,ooocubicfeetof tim- 

 ber. This means that in this forest during the eighty years of its 

 life, on an average, 725 cubic feet were produced annually on 

 one acre. The best Spruce-forests in Germany only accom- 

 plish about one-fifth part of this growth. Rapid growth means 

 a large annual yield of timber and a large net income from the 

 forest. It is not impossible that in many forest-districts of 

 North America the financial results of systematic forest-man- 

 agement will be found to be far more favorable than they are 

 in Germany. But in order to reap the benefit of these exceed- 

 ingly favorable conditions the goose which lays the golden 

 eggs must not be killed. 



The remarks made up to this point chiefly relate to matters 

 discussed by Dr. Schlich in the first or general part of his book. 

 Another article will be devoted to the second part of the book, 

 in which the principles of silviculture are set forth. 



Bonn, Germany. £), Brandts. 



Correspondence. 

 The Decorative Use of Flowers. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest: 



Sir. — The article by Mrs. Wheeler, in Garden and Forest 

 for January 22d, was so full of suggestion that I venture to 

 supplement it by a few additional thoughts on this fascinating 

 branch of decorative art. It is evident that the use of flowers 

 is increasing, and although some persons are inclined to con- 

 demn the extravagance which selects flowers on account of 

 their costliness rather than in accordance with their genuine 

 beauty, it is well to remember that a more harmless kind of 

 luxury could not be chosen. 



The true artist in flowers is as truly an educator as the 

 painter, and the crowds which always gather about the best 

 floral arrangements when exhibited testify to the interest they 

 arouse. The designers are rare who meet with the highest suc- 

 cess, even in simple attempts — which, by the way, are often the 

 most satisfactory. The art which conceals itself under the guise_ 

 of simplicity and the power to adapt natural grace and beauty 

 to decorative use are rare gifts. One worker will arrange 

 his Laurel branches so that the curving leaves and little 

 branchlets will present all their native charm, while another 

 will have them bunched and twisted until the beauty of color 

 alone remains. An Ivy screen can have every leaf naturally 

 placed so as to form a perfect background, or the leaves may 

 be inverted and pointing in all directions so as to annoy a lover 

 of beauty as discords do the lovers of music. A not uncom- 

 mon fault in arrangements of Orchids is that the flowers 

 are upside down. 



Skill in choosing suitable materials and making the most of 

 them comes with practice and observation only. All of us 

 who have tried it know how perishable and hard to manage 

 are the fronds of the Maiden-hair Ferns. One of the florists 

 of this city first overcame the difficulty by starting his bas- 

 kets of flowers with a pot of growing Adianticm Farleyens.e 

 and filling other things about it. The Fern, on its own roots, 

 long preserved its freshness and natural grace of growth and 

 motion. 



It is true that an appreciation of form depends upon a more 

 cultivated intelligence than does that of color, and yet the lat- 

 ter is more dependent upon accessories than form is. Light 

 and backgrounds are essential to color, yet we have all en- 



joyed the waving forms of trees in a dim light, or their grace- 

 ful branches and large leaves in churches or halls so dark as 

 to appear gloomy. Nothing gives more spirit to a combina- 

 tion than the radiating forms of leaves. 



It is often said that green gives freshness and white bril- 

 liancy, and both can be used freely. Another principle is that 

 while all colors look well massed by themselves, the powerful 

 ones should be sparingly employed in combination, while the 

 delicate and light colored ones gain by proximity and mass- 

 ing. For instance, a quantity of scarlet Salvia or Geranium, in 

 combination with other reds or purples, will, at the best, appear 

 crude and glaring ; but scatter the flowers and have fewer of 

 them mingled with plenty of white and green, and they reveal 

 all their brilliancy. Carnations mass well, and also appear 

 beautiful when seen singly ; but Roses, with few exceptions, 

 should show their individuality. 



Concerning backgrounds, it is well to note that while nearly 

 all feel their influence few of us think where it comes from. 

 Color is intensified or dulled, concealed or brought out, by 

 their use and form. Dark flowers on light backgrounds, and 

 light on dark, are of course effective, but for our purpose we 

 can change either of them by light colored foliage or that 

 which gives us deep shadows. White flowers can be made 

 beautiful even against a background of their own color by 

 mingling dark foliage with them. Dull reds often enhance the 

 pinks and scarlets, and N maroon will sometimes make a dull 

 purple look clear, but these are difficult effects to obtain, and 

 better ones are easily had. 



Some of our best decorators owe their success to judgment 

 in selecting floral materials suited to the scenes they are re- 

 quired to adorn, as well as to skill in arranging them. When 

 we buy flowers we can in a measure get those that meet 

 our artistic requirements, but the supply from our own 

 places is often limited, and so on occasion it may be well 

 to prepare the surroundings somewhat before arranging 

 the flowers. The more unobtrusively this is done the happier 

 the result. A vase of yellow Lilies can be helped by being 

 placed upon a stand covered with a blue cloth orhavingablue 

 tile top, but a curtain hung behind it of unusual color in some 

 familiar place is likely to be obtrusive. Unusual occasions, 

 however, demand even extraordinary decorations. 



Long-stemmed flowers in suitable receptacles are likely to 

 remain the best means of general decoration for a long time 

 to come. Plenty of water preserves their freshness, and the 

 flowers are usually displayed in an effective and natural posi- 

 tion. The flower-holders offer us a way for the artistic intro- 

 duction of color often wanted for the completion of the scene. 

 With the exception of those of clear glass, which allow the 

 stems to be seen, earthen ware in plain colors seems the best. 

 Silver is beautiful and brass often has the effect a frame does 

 on a picture. A dark blue, which is a rare color among 

 flowers, can be introduced in this manner, and is perhaps the 

 most useful color. A deep orange is another color that com- 

 bines well with many things. Both these are effective in a 

 composition where foliage and growing plants alone are in use. 

 White is usually too glaring and hurts flowers, but there is no 

 color that cannot be effective in some situations. Black is 

 sometimes invaluable. One of our best known florist's 

 workers is fond of repeating the color of his jars in the mass 

 of flowers he fills them with, at times using them of lighter 

 and again of darker tones of color, both being effective. 



If we do not attempt anything more elaborate than these 

 examples and restrict ourselves to the use of a few colors, 

 success is likely to be won, although elaborate compositions 

 need not be against the laws of art or canons of taste. An 

 effect that pleases when it can be attained is to repeat the 

 same color in different kinds of flowers, in which case the 

 hue must be exact unless we intend to have shaded effects. 

 Another is to repeat different colors in the same kind of 

 flowers. If we have pink Roses and white ones to arrange in 

 two vases, it is better to have one all white and one all pink, if 

 placed where both are seen at once, rather than mingle the 

 colors so that both arrangements are alike. 



Mounlainville, N. Y. J 01111 De Wolf . 



Notes. 



Achillea argentea really has the silvery leaves its name im- 

 plies. It seems to be the earliest of the family to bloom, and 

 its white flowers above the neat dwarf foliage are very 

 pleasing. 



Wallflowers which were left outside all winter are much 

 more stocky, and came into bloom earlier than those in 

 frames. This might not prove the case in more severe 

 seasons. 



