siv TYPICAL BOUQUETS. 
TYPICAL BOUQUETS. 
In the East, a bouquet of token flowers, in¬ 
geniously selected and put together for the pur¬ 
pose of communicating in secret and expressive 
language the sentiments of the heart, is called 
a salaam , or salutation.Written 
love-letters would often be inadequate to convey 
an idea of the feelings which are thus expressed 
through the medium of flowers. Thus orange- 
blossoms signify hope; inarygolds, despair; 
sunflowers, constancy ; roses, beauty; and tulips 
represent the complaints of infidelity. This 
hieroglyphic language is known oniy to the 
lover and his mistress. In order to envelop it 
more completely in the veil of secrecy, the sig¬ 
nifications of the different flowers are changed 
in conformity with a preconcerted plan : for ex¬ 
ample, the rose is employed to express the idea 
which would otherwise be attached to the ama¬ 
ranth ; the carnation is substituted for the 
pomegranate blossom, and so on. 
Although, in these typical bouquets, much 
must depend on the character of the messages 
intended to be conveyed ; upon the variety of 
the flowers obtainable; and upon the ingenuity 
of the sender—the following few simple exam- 
nles of floral epistles may not prove unac¬ 
ceptable : 
