The Southern herald., 1896-12-18
WOMAN AND HOME
ul-ld HISS fur ~ FFeHsrEatiaa e
49, H17-a

l1r1L HAS luT lEa Eraz1rEall11 ll
Clrred Elrzaza
Tha woman who urishes 10 enjoy the
Ehols q ths Short Life Of her eut f9W-
era iassead u only 3 small portion u
Cd win nut settle down upon any Cue
Underwriting method Of preserving
then. but Hin rather vary it according
20 TIE different causes which lead %
their decay.
Take. for instance. the hoWsn Of
fuceuleat nature Ike the iris- The
stems when put into the water slough
away and soon give forth en- unpleasant
od0s. There are tive remedies which
may Be applied IN this ease; either one
should put a mild disinfectant in the
water and frequently change it, or cut
Of the ends Of thu stalks al short in
tervals.
A good point 10 remember in gather
ing aoWe.s Of the iris family, and, in
deed. all suoculeat plants like the prim-
rose, the snOwdrOp. the lily and poppy,
Is to pick them while still In the bud,
as they Will often suck up enOughwater
70 quite carry out their natural life.
Another flower whose stem most
rapidly decays and eOrrupts the water
is mignOnette, anl il is often best.
therefore, TO sacrifice il while its head
Is still freshly green. HeliOtrOpe, like
mignonette. should always be put in
water BY itself, for II not only fades
and turns brown rapidly. but il will
kill almost any flower put with it.
The cause Of decay 10 hard-woOded
plants like the nzalea aud camelia Is
that they do not take up enough water,
not that they have any tendency toPol-
lutte il, so that to cut their stalks fire.
quently would be Of little avail. The
hard, brittle wood has no power of alb
sorption; but If when putting such
flowers In a vase OF bowl you make sure
that the lowest leaves attached TO the
blossoms are under water the effect is
magical.
The tender green Of the fresh leaf alb
serbs the water and aetsas a conductor,
in its turu nourishing the blossoms.
Ferns, and especially maidenhair, are
very short lived when they have to look
20 the stem alone for nourishment, and
the most effectual way TO preserve them
Is to see that the lower part Of every
frond is well under water. Cut flowers
require as q rule a far greater quantity
of water than is given them, though the
capacious bowls and vases now In
vogue come much nearer meeting their
wants than the slender, elegant forms
that continue to adorn our cabinets and
mantels.
We must be guided In our expecta-
tions of the longevity Of flower, how
ever, by its normal life, and not expect
the irail blossom Of a day to rival the
splendid orchid in its three weeks
duration.
Flowers should always be placed in
water as soon as possible after being
picked; when received by post in q
somewhat wilted condition an immedi.
ate plunge into hot water with little
sal volatile will accomplish wonders
in the way OF reviving them.
Lilac, laburnum and azaleas require
TO have q piece Of the bark stripped VI
and left hanging, and this, with the ad
dition of a few leaves in the water, will
often keep them in quite fresh condi
tion for weeks.
The bouquet which you have carried
during an evening will be sure to revive
again If you spray II well with water
and put it under bell glass and II yor
wish to wear flowers in your hair or OF
your corsage they may be made to re
tain their freshness for an entire even
ing by putting bit of sealing wax ovel
the ends.-Chicago Tribune.