TIIE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
73 
from ono to three inclies in diameter. The plants grow 
from ono to three feet in height, and are of com¬ 
pact, dwarf-branching habit, having bright-green 
foliago, producing during the summer and early au¬ 
tumn months, in the greatest profusion, remarkably 
showy flowers of large size and great variety of color, 
from dazzling scarlet to pure white ; and within the 
last two years our florists have given us several varie¬ 
ties having double flowers, the latter being as yet rather 
limited as to variety in the color of the flowers. When 
well grown, these Begonias are truly magnificent, being 
well adapted for exhibition or for decorative purposes, 
and in the greenhouse, conservatory or window-garden, 
or in a partially shaded border, they are equally at 
home. 
When grown as pot-plants these Begonias are easily 
cultivated, requiring a compost of ordinary potting soil. 
The pots should be well drained and the plants watered 
freely during their season of growth ; but when first 
started into growth and after their flowering season it 
should be sparingly given, and in the latter event grad¬ 
ually withheld. 
When grown in the open air, a deep, moderately-en¬ 
riched soil and a situation partially sheltered from the 
hot mid-day sun, and in the event of drought they must 
be liberally supplied with water. As soon as their fo¬ 
liage is destroyed, the tubers should be carefully taken 
up, placed thickly in a shallow box slightly covered 
with earth and placed in a dry situation, and in a week 
or ten days removed to their Winter quarters. They 
keep best when placed in a box, each tuber being cov¬ 
ered with moderately dry earth. Place the box in a dry 
situation where the temperature does not vary much 
above 55 or below 45 degrees, and guard against rats 
and mice. The tubers do best when started in heat 
about the middle of April, and gradually hardened off 
and planted out about the middle of May, while those 
that are wanted for flowering in pots should be shifted 
into six or eight inch pots. 
Propagation is effected by seed or cuttings to ama¬ 
teurs the latter being the easiest method of increasing 
their stock. Cuttings of the young wood will root 
easily if placed in sand in a moist situation and a tem¬ 
perature of GO degrees. Do not place them too close 
together, or keep them too wet, as on account of their 
succulent nature they are liable to rot. Spring flower¬ 
ing bulbs can be obtained from any seedsman or florist 
at prices ranging from fifty cents to two dollars each, 
according to the variety. Among the most desirable 
varieties are Froebelii, Chelsonii, Pearceii, Boliviensis, 
Sedeni, Sutherlandii, Queen of Whites, Glorie de Nancy, 
Louis Van Iloutte, Salmonea plena and Phosphorescent, 
the last four having double flowers. 
February 4th, 1683. CriAS. E. PARNELL, 
THE ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS. 
For a good effect, flowers, whether arranged in 
bouquets, baskets, or vases, fer either the parlor, 
the dining-table or the platform, should in all cases 
be made to appear as if on growing plants. They 
should appear perfectly natural instead of artificial, 
as they too commonly seem, especially when arranged 
by the mechanical florist. But very few persons, 
relatively, show any taste in the arrangement of flowers. 
They do not fill a vase or a basket in such a manner that 
it is a pleasure to look at it; on the contrary the con¬ 
fused way in which flowers are crowded, crashed 
together, excites your sympathy for the poor, distressed 
objects. Of all the various mistakes made in floral 
decorations, the most common is that of putting too 
many into a vase ; and the next to that is the mistake 
of putting too great a variety of color into one bouquet 
or vase. Every flower in a collection should be so 
placed that its individuality should be determinable, 
without having to pick the bouquet to pieces. The calyx 
of a Carnation should never be hidden by being plunged 
into the head of some other flower, however well their 
colors may harmonize; not moi-e than two varieties of 
them should be in a vase of loose flowers, and these 
should be such as afford the greatest contrast of color, 
together with the most perfect harmony. Car-nations 
should be cut with long stems, so that their own foliage 
would furnish sufficient green to give the mass a 
natural appearance, if any other green is required, and 
a due proportion is always necessary; in fact, in all 
arrangement of flowers, appropriate foliage should be 
in excess of the flowers. With the Carnation there is 
nothing more beautiful than the fronds of the Maiden¬ 
hair Fern (Adiantum in var). We have never had 
more satisfaction in the arrangement of flowers, in any 
design whatever, than by taking the hardy Carnation 
that is so freely produced in Summer, a few stems of 
flowers and partly opened buds, put in a tall vase with 
a liberal amount of our native Maiden-hair Fern, the 
whole so gracefully united that every flower, bud, and 
frond of the Fern could be seen in its integrity. Sweet- 
peas never look so well in the hand as they do on the 
vine, amid the boughs over which they climb, because 
they cannot be carried without crowding them; but 
put them lightly into a vase with an equal number of 
Mignonette ; or, rather, ornament a vase half full of 
Mignonette, with a few blooms of Sweet-peas, and you get 
a charming effect, because you follow the natural ar¬ 
rangement by avoiding crowding the natural blooms, 
and putting them with the green foliage which they 
want to set them off. Few people are aware until they 
try it, how easy it is to spoil such a pleasing combina 
tion as this. A piece of the yellow Calceolaria, a truss 
of scarlet Geranium, or a spray of blue Salvia, would 
ruin it effectually. Such decided colors as these require 
to be grouped in another vase, and should not be placed 
even on the same table as Sweet-peas. They also re 
quire a much larger preponderance of foliage thin 
wanted by flowers of more delioate colors. When we 
have a basket of flowers of all shades of color, and 
variety of form before us to arrange, we know full well 
the difficulty of resisting the temptation of “just put¬ 
ting in" this or that flower, because it is “such a 
beauty.” A beauty it may be, but beauty is not beauti¬ 
ful when out of place, and it is not in its proper 
