Floral Decoration of apartments in Paris. 1 15 



Some nurserymen cultivate young Palms and fine-foliaged plants 

 generally to an enormous extent, while the trade in forced Roses, 

 white Lilac, and cut flowers generally, is quite a speciality. The 

 only feature of this forcing that we do not practise or do not under- 

 stand, is the production of the white Lilac seen so abundantly in 

 Paris during the winter and spring ; indeed I have seen it in the 

 best condition in early autumn, and in quantity too. To meet with 

 a mass of it in October, quite white and deliciously sweet, is a pleasant 

 surprise to the English visitor. You may see large bunches of it in 

 every little flower-shop as early as the month of January, and it is 

 always associated with the early Violet and the forced Rose. This 

 Lilac is the common kind, and yet it is perfectly white. French 

 florists have tried the white variety, but they do not like it — it 

 pushes weakly and then does not look of so pure a colour as the 

 ordinary lilac one. They force the common form in great quanti- 

 ties in pots, and to a greater extent planted out, as close as they can 

 stand, in pits for cutting. The plants that are intended for forcing 

 are cut around with a spade in September, to induce them to form 

 flower-buds freely, and they commence to force early in the autumn. 

 They at first judiciously introduce them to a cool house, but after a 

 little while give them plenty of heat when once fairly started, in 

 fact, from aj" to nearly 40° C. = 77° to 104° F. At the same time 

 abundant humidity is supplied, both at the root and by means of 

 the syringe, but tlie chief point is, that from the day they take the 

 plants under glass they are not allowed to receive a gleam of light, 

 the glass being completely covered with the paillassons, or neat 

 straw mats, which are much used for covering frames, pits, 

 and all sorts of garden structures in winter. Thus they get the 

 Lilac to push freely, and gather its white blooms before the leaves 

 have had time to show themselves. The great degree of heat — a 

 degree which we never think of giving to anything of the kind in 

 England, and the total shade to which they are subjected, effect the 

 bleaching. The French commence to cut the white Lilac at the 

 end of October, and continue the operation till it comes in flower 



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