December  7,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
489 
Descriptive  List  ready  Dec  13th. 
BARR’S 
ANNUAL 
CLEARANCE  SALE 
OF  SPRING-FLOWERING 
For  Greenhouse,  Flower  Garden,  and  to 
Naturalise  in  Shrubberies,  Wild  Gardens, 
and  in  Grass, 
—  AT 
50°/o  BELOW  CATALOGUE  PRICES. 
Bulbs  in  first-class  condition ;  early  orders 
invited  as  supply  is  limited. 
Descriptive  List  Free  on  Application. 
BARR  8c  SONS, 
12  &  13,  King  Street,  Covent  Garden,  London. 
For  Market  and  Private  Growers. 
Ornamental  Trees,  Shrubs,  <k 
DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUES  POST  FREE. 
J  CHEAL&QONS 
m  W  Crawley,  U  Sussex.. 
JOHN  IATERER  &  SONS 
Limited 
American  Nursery, 
BAGSHOT,  SURREY, 
Beg  to  call  attention  to  their  magnificent  stock  of 
HARDY  RHODODENDRONS 
AZALEAS,  CONIFERS, 
Evergreens,  Deciduous  Trees,  &c. 
Intending  Planters  would  do  well  to  inspect 
the  Nurseries. 
CATALOGUES  ON  APPLICATION. 
FRUIT  TREES, 
ORNAMENTAL  SHRUBS, 
ROSES— A  VERY  FINE  SELECTION. 
HERBACEOUS  PLANTS, 
CARNATIONS— “varieties. 
HARDY  CREEPERS, 
VINES— PLANTING  &  FRUITING. 
JOHN  PEED  &  SONS, 
MITCHAM  ROAD,  STREATHAM,  S.W. 
PLANTING  SEASON. 
HARDILY-GROWN 
Forest,  Fruit, 
&  all  other 
Trees  &  PSants 
Roses,  &c. 
Stocks  quite  Unequalled  for 
"QUALITY,"  "VARIETY,”  &  “EXTENT." 
Priced  Catalogues  Post  Free. 
IPlCKSONS  ISO  Acres)  CHESTER,, 
FRUIT  TREES 
FROM  KENT. 
PLANT  NOW. 
Our  Guinea  Collection  for  the  Garden  or  wall  training. 
1  doz.  bushy  trees,  assorted,  such  as  Cox’s  Orange  Pippin, 
Worcester  Pearmain,  Lane’s  Prince  Albert,  Pears  Williams’ 
Bon  Chretien.  Marie  Louise.  &c. ,  and  good  sorts  of  Plums. 
These  trees  come  into  bearing  at  once,  and  are  usually  sold 
at  30/-  per  doz.  The  collection  named,  carefully  packed, 
carriage  paid  on  receipt  of  P  0.0.  or  cheque,  21/-'.  Straw¬ 
berry  Plants,  2/6  100;  Raspberry  Canes,  4/6.  KENTISH 
HOP  PLANTS,  quickest  climber  grown  (brewers’  variety 
of  Hops),  6  plants,  carriage  paid,  1/3. 
EAST  KENT  FRUIT  &  VEGETABLE  GO.,  SITTINGBQURNE. 
IMPORTANT  TO  MUSHROOM  GROWERS.— 
CUTHBERT’S  SPECIALITE  MUSHROOM  SPAWN. 
Always  alike  ;  most  productive.  Hundreds  of  testimonials. 
Per  bushel,  51-.—  R.  &  G.  CUTHBEKT,  Seed,  Bulb,  and 
Plant  Merchants,  Southgate,  N.  Established  1797. 
PURE  WOOD  CHARCOAL,  Specially  Prepared 
for  Horticultural  use.  Extract  from  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture :  “  Charcoal  is  invaluable  as  a  manurial  agent ; 
each  little  piece  is  a  pantry  full  of  the  good  things  of  this 
life.  There  is  no  cultivated  plant  which  is  not  benefited  by 
having  Charcoal  applied  to  the  soil  in  which  it  is  rooted.' 
Apply  for  Pamphlet  and  Prices  to  the  Manufacturers— 
HIRST,  BROOKE  &  HIRST,  Ltd.,  Leeds. 
ALL  WHO  WISH  GRAND  RESULTS  should 
use  THOMSON’S  IMPROVED  VINE,  PLANT  and 
VEGETABLE  MANURE.  This  valuable  Manure  is  yearly 
growing  in  public  favour.  Can  be  had  of  all  Nursery  and 
Seedsmen,  or  direct  from  the  makers,  WM.  THOMSON  and 
SONS,  Ltd.,  Tweed  Vineyard,  Clovenfords,  Galashiels, 
N.B.  Price  Lists  and  Testimonials  on  Application.  1  cwt. 
and  upwards  Carriage  Paid  to  all  stations  in  Britain  and 
Ireland  London  Agent— Mr.  J.  George,  14,  Redgrave 
Road,  Putney.  Agent  for  Channel  Islands— Mr.  J.  H. 
Parsons,  Market  Place,  Guernsey.  Also  THOMSON’S 
SPECIAL  CHRYSANTHEMUM  MANURE.  $  cwt 
Carriage  Paid  to  all  Stations  in  Britain  and  Trtdand. 
COTTAGE  GARDENING  ;  being  an  Essay  to 
which  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  awarded  Mr. 
W.  Egerton  Hubbard’s  Prize,  February  16th,  1870.  By 
E.  W.  Badger.  Third  Edition.  Price  3d. ;  post  free,  3Jd. 
Journal  of  Horticulture  Office,  12,  Mitre  court 
Chambers,  Fleet  Street,  E.C. 
Greenhouses  from  £3  5/-;  vineries, 
Conservatories,  Frames,  Summer  Houses,  Ac. 
niustrated  List  Free.  Makers  to  H.M.  the  Queen  and 
H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
POTTER,  HAWTHORN  &  CO.,  London  Works, 
READING.  (Name  Paper.) 
Joupil  uf  ^)ortii;ultiU[i'. 
THURSDAY,  DECEMBER  7,  1899. 
THE  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  can  be  obtained 
from  the  Office,  12,  Mitre  Court  Chamber t,  Fleet  8t., 
London,  post  free  for  a  Quarter ,  3/9.  Editorial 
communications  must  be  addressed  to  12,  Mitre 
Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street,  London. 
CUT  FLOWERS  AND  THEIR 
ARRANGEMENT. 
THE  skill  of  the  florist  which  enables  one  to  deal 
with  cut  flowers  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make 
them  appear  natural  and  pleasing  is  an  art  not  to 
be  acquired  by  everyone.  There  are  some  who 
may  have  a  great  fondness  for  flowers,  yet  strive 
how  they  may  it  is  not  in  their  power  to  place 
them  in  such  a  manner,  either  in  dress  or  vase,  as 
to  make  them  pleasing  to  everyone ;  yet  others 
there  are  who  cannot  handle  a  flower  the  wrong 
way,  hands  and  eyes  seem  fitted  fordoing  so  without 
the  least  trouble  or  exertion.  From  this  I  contend 
that  the  cleverest  florists  are,  like  the  poets,  born, 
not  made.  Many  clever  people  will,  with  study 
and  patience,  acquire  the  art  of  doing  much  that 
does  not  come  readily  to  them  at  first,  but  their 
work  will  always  lack  that  charm  displayed  in  that 
of  the  skilful  artist.  For  this  reason  I  feel  that  any 
trouble  I  may  take  to  point  out  the  difference  in 
the  arrangement  of  flowers  will,  in  many  instances, 
be  lost,  and  I  am  convinced  that  no  amount  of 
reasoning  would  make  some  persons,  even  for  a 
moment,  prefer  the  light  and  elegant  arrangement 
of  flowers  to  that  of  the  heavy  and  clumsy 
cramming  together  which  they  have  learnt  to  love 
and  admire. 
The  greatest  mistakes  that  most  people  make  in 
arranging  their  flowers  is — First  to  cut  them  too 
short  in  the  stem ;  second,  to  select  vases  utterly 
unsuitable  for  their  reception,  both  as  to  shape 
and  colour  ;  and,  lastly,  crowd  so  many  into  one 
vase  as  to  entirely  destroy  the  identity  of  either, 
vase  or  flowers;  while  a  fourth  error  is  that  of 
placing  the  foliage  of  other  plants  with  flowers 
which  are  utterly  unsuited  to  go  together,  and  thus 
spoil  what  might  otherwise  have  been  a  beautiful 
effect.  For  example,  it  is  a  great  mistake— and  in 
saying  so  I  feel  I  am  treading  on  dangerous  ground 
— to  place  Maidenhair  Fern  fronds  with  a  Rose  for 
a  buttonhole ;  Nature  was  never  so  rudely  outraged. 
Nature  has  endued  the  Rose  with  a  most  beautiful 
foliage  of  its  own,  and  it  needs  no  other  embellish¬ 
ment.  In  arranging  Roses  or  Carnations  in  groups 
of  any  kind  where  a  light  appearance  is  needed 
No.  2671  — Vol.  Cl.,  Old  Series 
No.  1015.— Vol.  XXXIX.,  Third  Series 
