KEEPING FLOWERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9325, 30 March 1889, Page 4 (Supplement)

KEEPING FLOWERS.

! HOW THEY MAY BE .'PRESERVED IN ALL THEIR FRAGRANCE AND BEAUTY. ' A great deal has been written on tho preservation of cut flowers, .says' the! : Journal' of Chemistry, but the matter is' Still imperfectly" understood by * most people. It is important to know not only to take care of theiA- after being cub, but how to' cut' them. On this latter point a practical hint may bo of service to our readers. It might not occur to them that it made any difference whether tho stems were broken off or cub with a knife or scissors. A sharp knife is bho right tool for this purpose,, as ib leaves tho sap vessels of the' stems open for tho absorption ofwater; while scissors crush and compress these" Vessels, so that their 'absorptive power .is ' more or less dostroyed. Liko injury"' may be done by breaking , 'off. the stems, especially- if they are .tough.' If tho'lflowors nro; pub into water ' im-, Mediately, the 'ends of tho stems should be cut off with a sharp knife, as tlie 3ap vessels will probably havo beepme qloggod with coagulated matter. * Cuty'flowers often suffer from too "dry atmosphere. It is* difficult to avoid'this in our artificially heated room?, but we may at legist put the blossoms' in the coldest part of- the room. Near a window,.' and, especially : in a -bay window* the "temperaturo is generally several degrees lower than, in other parts of the room, as yon will see if you* : tosb'jib' with a thcrinomoter. The best authorities say, moreover; that tho flowers-should 1 lmvo tho berioflt of ' light, and even of sunshine in, most ..cases, though there ,is popular , prejudice 1 against 'exposing them to the .latter. • ,On the ,other hand; w they '■ suffer i' "as"'•plants"'do,, from, sudden altefati,pps t of temperature and frofia.!' draughts. ; v - ****)' *' '• "' %/" ■" ' ' 1 "V In the ease'of blossoms that fall-to pieces easily,abis a good idea to lob fall a drop'of; gum .or.^inudiCßge; into the centre, .which! will glue the .petals .together 'at the base. To prevent this from/tunning ".out before it hardens, the Rowel's should be kept upright ' by their; 'stems through the .bottom or sticking thorn in 'sand. • With the aid of a camel's hair brush or a'panted stick, a large number of flowers .may. ; $%«sipmcd in a short time. When flowers'Jlt&iFo'fboen carried'long distance in Close bo&ea or cases, they A.often appear jvithered arid worthles's}- . bub •with', proper treatment they may ba,«revived and restored to their: original-beauty. !. Instead of; at once'being put-into'vases and exposed to the hot,, dry air of the«parlour, 'they should either bespread out on wet flannel-or moss, /rind covered with a dish-cover or inverted 'box, or else put into pans containing moss : and water or web...sand, in which they can be, set upright, and bhen shut up in • tho 'dark for. a few hours. '.If.they do not regain their freshnoss under '. this. nursing, there is no hope for t'nom ; but, in all ortfidinary cases their recovery is certain.