The National tribune., 1910-02-10

If flowers had tongues they would
certainly arise and protest against the
violence that is done their beauty by
the average woman in arranging bou-
quets. Few people are born without
an embryonic eve for color harmonfes,
but education does nothing practically
to develop these perceptions; conse-
quently the world is full of people who
"love flowers" and persist in massing
cut blooms together in way to make
the poor things swear at one another"
as the French say. NaSturtums and
sweet peas are Jumped in one bowl;
flowers of all colors are combined, look
ing for all the world like crazy quilt;
roses are put In china vases adorned
with imitation flowers which are libel
on the real ones.
The vase or bowl, by the way, is a
most important consideration in the
arrangement of flowers. Like a wo-
mans dress or the frame of picture,
1t should be calculated to make the eye
dwell not on itself, but on the thing it
incloses. Lovely for holding flowers
are the clear glass globes and the tall
vases of the same material There is
something very attractive about the
sight of the long stems floating about
the water, visible thru the glass. If
colored receptacles are used, it is SAT-
est to follow nature, who sticks to green
for the background for her brilliant
colors. Nothing, on the whole, is more
satisfactory than the dull green vases
of Japanese ware. Pale sea-green
porcelain jars are effective holders for
flowers of rich dark blue or purple, and
deep red blossoms look well in holders
either of the pale or the dark shades,
provided these shades are unobtrusive
in tone. Some kinds of blue are lovely
with some kinds of green; others can
not be brought together without bat
Ting. 1t is the same with greens and
reds. Ones eye must decide what is
right, and, of course, if the eye is
blurred mistakes will be made.
Brilliant blue china should be re-
served for white flowers. Pink flowers
look best in A green vase, and SO do
pale yellow blossoms. such as evening
primroses. Green seems the natural
frame for pansies, too, with their quaint
little faces.
Another rule which. like that of the
green vase, has its exceptions, is not
to mass flowers of different varieties.
Two kinds of blossoms may be put to-
gether if one is inconspicuous and ac-
centuates the other. Mignonette, for
instance, may be used with snowy white
or yellow flowers if the latter have no
perfume. But to put nasturtiums and
sweet peas in the same vase is afro
cious; each kind kills the other. Sweet
peas alone make a delightful center
piece for the dining table, but the col
ors must not be mixed.
The United States Department of
Agriculture has put out the following
on the care of food in the home, which
is we'll worthy of reproduction. More
care and attention given 20 food would
lessen waste and also lessen cost:
In the buying, storing and handling
of food 1T is important that we realize
the causes of what is called the spoil
ing of food. And the knowledge that
the spelling is due to yeasts molds and
bacteria is comparatively recent
Countless numbers of tiny living
things called micro-organisms are
everywhere found which will grow in
the food man has prepared for his own
use and cause it to spoil. These micro
scopic plants flourish in the kitchen,
storeroom, ice box, milk room and cell
lar. The bulk of these minute forms
of life are harmless, under usual con-
ditions; some are useful, like those
which ripen milk, and many are harm
full, since they cause waste or may be
a direct cause of disease.
Not only do yeasts, molds and bac-
terra appropriate our food, with the
but they sometimes leave behind dis |
agreeable consequences like the musty |
and moldy odor and flavor of some |
spoiled foods, or the substances called |
ptomaines, which are sometimes poi
sonous. |
Not until millions of yeast cells are