Many people who are fond of ?owers have but little knowledge of the length of life in water of any but a few of the commonest kinds; of the best methods of cutting and of keeping them fresh; of using them economically; and of arranging them effectively whether as regards the form and colour harmony of the ?owers and foliage, or the variety and suitability of the vessels holding them, or the harmony of the ?owers and vessels with their surroundings. To spread a knowledge of such matters and to stimulate investigation, my wife and myself some years ago offered prizes at the Dundee Flower Show for arrange ments of cut ?owers in suitable vessels, the judging not taking place till the third day, in order to roughly test the lasting qualities of the ?owers. The experiment resulted in disappointment, only one exhibit being meritorious. Next year the experiment was repeated with little improvement in result, and we concluded that some other method of inculcating economy in the use of cut ?owers, and another way of showing how to.