The Preservation of Bouquets. — (i) Bouquets that are made in
the morning for evening wear should be put away in tin boxes rather
than placed in water, or kept in the dark with water ; they will be
much fresher by so doing. (2) A little gum is sometimes dropped
into the centre of flowers, or round the outside of their petals, to help
in their preservation. This treatment is particularly necessary for
flowers whose petals are but loosely attached to their stems, or where
the whole flower drops at the slightest touch, as the patience of the
decorator is much tried when, on the completion of the bouquet, half
the work falls away. The gum to be used for flowers should be pure
and colorless, and is best made at home. Buy at the druggist's some
best white gum arabic, pick av/ay from it any discolored lumps, and
dissolve in boiling water. When quite liquid, strain through an old
muslin handkerchief, and place it in a bottle ready for use. Drop
into the centre of such flowers as azaleas, pelargoniums, jessamines,
and stephanotis a little gum from the point of a clean paint-brush,
and allow it to dry before using the flower. Round the outside of
the azalea, besides the inside application, pass a brushful of gum, and
do the same to the stephanotis just where the petals of the fragile
flower join together. The gum must be very strong, so that a little
used is sufficient, and it should not be apparent unless the flower is
closely examined. (3) Bouquets can be sent a great distance and
kept fresh, provided they are properly packed. The flowers should
always be immersed in clear, cool water before wiring and making
up, and when placed, wet moss should be rolled round their founda-
tions, and cardboard or tin boxes about their sizes provided for them
to be packed in. They fare best in tin boxes, as the outer air is
then entirely excluded, and the flowers are not hurt by the pressure
of other parcels.
To Transplant Mignonette. — Those who have tried to transplant
mignonette have found to their satisfaction that it is no easy thing to
do, especially when the plants have gfown two or three inches high.
The best plan is to fill small flower-pots, such as florists call thumbs
(they are two and a half inches across the top), with good soil, press
FLORICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE. 28/
it firmly, so that it will not crumble when turned out, make it even
on top, then put the pots in the ground up to the rim ; if properly
done they will look like honey-comb. Sow the seed broadcast over
the pots, cover the same way with fine soil — not more than one-eighth
of an inch deep — then water lightly ; shade when the sun is out with
muslin or paper until the plants begin to come up. When they are
one or two inches high, plant them in the open ground. If there are
too many plants in the pot, thin them out ; water them every evening
if the weather is dry ; by so doing you can have the rows full and
the plants one or two weeks earlier.
Planting Flower Seeds. — A good way to plant seeds which you
wish to take particularly good care of is to take a turnip, cut it in halves,
scrape out the shell, then fill with earth and plant the seeds. When
the time comes to put the plant out-doors, dig a hole in the flower-
bed large eno^igh to set the turnip in. It will root in a short time,
and your plants will thrive by not having the tender roots disturbed.
Page 187
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The Preservation of Bouquets. — (i) Bouquets that are made in the morning for evening wear should be put away in tin boxes rather than placed in water, or kept in the dark with water ; they will be much fresher by so doing. (2) A little gum is sometimes dropped into the centre of flowers, or round the outside of their petals, to help in their preservation. This treatment is particularly necessary for flowers whose petals are but loosely attached to their stems, or where the whole flower drops at the slightest touch, as the patience of the decorator is much tried when, on the completion of the bouquet, half the work falls away. The gum to be used for flowers should be pure and colorless, and is best made at home. Buy at the druggist's some best white gum arabic, pick away from it any discolored lumps, and dissolve in boiling water. When quite liquid, strain through an old muslin handkerchief, and place it in a bottle ready for use. Drop into the centre of such flowers as azaleas, pelargoniums, jessamines, and stephanotis a little gum from the point of a clean paint-brush, and allow it to dry before using the flower. Round the outside of the azalea, besides the inside application, pass a brushful of gum, and do the same to the stephanotis just where the petals of the fragile flower join together. The gum must be very strong, so that a little used is sufficient, and it should not be apparent unless the flower is closely examined. (3) Bouquets can be sent a great distance and kept fresh, provided they are properly packed. The flowers should always be immersed in clear, cool water before wiring and making up, and when placed, wet moss should be rolled round their foundations, and cardboard or tin boxes about their sizes provided for them to be packed in. They fare best in tin boxes, as the outer air is then entirely excluded, and the flowers are not hurt by the pressure of other parcels.
To Transplant Mignonette. — Those who have tried to transplant mignonette have found to their satisfaction that it is no easy thing to do, especially when the plants have grown two or three inches high. The best plan is to fill small flower-pots, such as florists call thumbs (they are two and a half inches across the top), with good soil, press
it firmly, so that it will not crumble when turned out, make it even on top, then put the pots in the ground up to the rim ; if properly done they will look like honey-comb. Sow the seed broadcast over the pots, cover the same way with fine soil — not more than one-eighth of an inch deep — then water lightly ; shade when the sun is out with muslin or paper until the plants begin to come up. When they are one or two inches high, plant them in the open ground. If there are too many plants in the pot, thin them out ; water them every evening if the weather is dry ; by so doing you can have the rows full and the plants one or two weeks earlier.
Planting Flower Seeds. — A good way to plant seeds which you wish to take particularly good care of is to take a turnip, cut it in halves, scrape out the shell, then fill with earth and plant the seeds. When the time comes to put the plant out-doors, dig a hole in the flowerbed large enough to set the turnip in. It will root in a short time, and your plants will thrive by not having the tender roots disturbed.