110 
REMARKS ON THE CULTURE OP A FEW ORNAMENTAL PLANTS, 
most simple rules are, not to put too many flowers together in a glass, to change 
the water every morning, and to remove every decayed leaf as soon as it appears, 
cutting off the end of the stem occasionally as soon as it shows any symptoms of 
decay. A more efficacious way, however, is to put nitrate of soda in the water ; 
about as much as can be easily taken up between the forefinger and thumb, put 
into the glass every time the water is changed, will preserve cut flowers in all their 
beauty for above a fortnight. Nitrate of potash (that is, common saltpetre) in 
powder, has nearly the same effects, but it is not quite so efficacious." 
Whilst, however, the observations quoted embrace some of the principal points 
for the preservation of cut flowers, the exclusion of a dry or disturbed air acting 
upon the flowers themselves, is perhaps more effectual in prolonging their beauty. 
It is preferable to retard the loss of fluid matter through insensible perspiration, 
than to trust entirely to supplying that loss. For this purpose the Hopean stand 
and glass cover is a useful contrivance. These stands are now manufactured in 
ornamented stone and china wares (similar to that employed for the new Hyacinth 
pots) instead of japanned metal ; and are not only equally effectual for the 
object intended, but more elegant ornaments in themselves. In conjunction with 
the directions of Mrs. Loudon, this mode of excluding air will be found capable of 
retaining flowers perfect for a much longer period than above stated a considera- 
tion of some importance, where flowers are scarce, (especially during winter,) or to 
keep blossoms of a rare kind as long as possible. 
REMARKS ON THE CULTURE OF A FEW ORNAMENTAL 
PLANTS. 
In estimating the value of different plants in an ornamental light, we naturally 
enough follow their mere appearance as they are oftenest found, without taking 
into consideration the ease or the difficulty of making them what they are ; and 
whether there may or may not be a likelihood of benefiting them by supplying 
common omissions in their routinal tendance ; or varying some feature in their 
culture for one that would appear more feasible. Thus, if a grower supply himself 
with a miscellaneous collection of plants, comprising species of rapid growth with 
soft shoots, and others of harder and more woody stems and increasing slowly in 
size, and makes no difference in the way of treating them, he will rarely attain 
any excellence either with the one or the other ; or it will be in proportion as his 
practice leans to the requirements of either of the two classes. And, moreover, it 
demands less skill to manage a soft-wooded plant well, than it does to unfold the 
capabilities of a hard wooded, slow-growing kind ; hence, we are more apt to 
condemn the latter, when the fault really rests only in our own ignorance or 
mismanagement. 
