The Monitor., 1891-05-01
CARE OFF FIG ERs.

The care of flowers is something few
women seem to understand Hundreds
Of dollars are spent in purchasing lovely
flowers that are allowed to perish all too
soon, just for tie want of a little attention.
The delight of having ones room bright
ened by fresh flowers is so great that more
time and care would readily be bestowed
upon the perisbable beauties If those who
| cared for them knew the great difference
it would make whether they were merely
putt water or whether they were ''nnrsed''
and ''petted" little.
Roses should always have the end of the
stem clipped off " it'll pair of sharp scis-
sors and some of the pretty green leaves
taken off. Do not crowd your vases.
Give the flowers plenty of water and
change the water daily. At night put all
the stems neatly together and roll news
paper about the upper part of the bunch,
leaving no open space for the air to get in.
Then plunge the flowers into deep
pitcher or jar full of water nearly up to
their heads and put them in the ice-b box,
| if you have ice, or in any cool place W where
they will rest all night.
Very dropping roses will taus come out
fresh and stiff stemmed in the morning.
Some varieties of roses will keep week if
| put bed in this way each night. Anoth-
er good way is to shut them up in a high
pail with water to come u p to their heads,
the cover carefully closed and the pail put
in an ice chest or some other cool place.
Lilies are more easily kept. They only
need plenty of fresh water, good light
and to have t!ls end, stalks clipped from
day to day. The writer has nsvsr failed
to make ii y-bud open (hloom) no mat
ter how green aud small it may have been.
aud has several times had bud open after
three weeks of waiting.
Poppies are JOY if you eau buy The
| buds, they open so perfectly in water,
with the same rich colors and dainty tex
/ ture of petals
Forget nets will last from two to
four weeks If once well started, but the
pretty leaves must nearly all be cut away
and the stems put deep in the water; then
the stalks will grow and every little bud
blossom beautifully. A clear glass is the
best to put them iu.
| A bunch of 'sWandering Jew" cut in
late October is JOY ard comfort through
all the long. dreary winter if put in a
! pretty clear glass and kept on a sunny
window-ledge. Just keep the glass 6iled
with water and occasion ally drench the
vines; they will grow fast. You may have
to cut them eff from time to time, or you
can train them to twine around cords, etc.
but you have cheerful bit Of green with
| SO little expense or trouble.
Pansies, marguerites and violets all
freshen up wonderfully, even after they
| have been worn or carried uutil but little
| withered heap, If they receive the proper
attention. And it Is the same old story
ofloosering the cluster, clipping each little
| STAN and plunging up to the dainty little
heads in freAh. cool water. Almost iuvar.
iably after bath aud rest they are as
fresh as tired human flowers after the
same treatment.
In cur small city houses growing plau,s
take too nach room. Cut flowers are
easily obtained. but very expensive, there
fore il pays 10 take good care OF them aud
learn how to keep them fresh aud sweet.
Nest flowers keep better with very little
foliage. You must use separate stems for the
green effects. Some rose leaves can usual
~ De kept if care is taken to cut of part
and watch the first day or SO that the
| flower does not droop.