Page:Japanese flower arrangement.djvu/54

 better. It is often difficult to get a forked stick the proper size. It will either be too large or too small. Whereas the first kubari can be cut to fit the flowers you intend to pass through it and will require no wedges to fill up the unoccupied opening at the back. These wedges, which the beginner often finds necessary to keep his flowers firm in the kubari, are not desirable, as they are untidy and detract from the all-in-one parent-stalk appearance.

If you have no suitable wood at hand from which to make a support, use the ends of the branches or flowers you are arranging, crossed as shown in Fig 5. This is not considered desirable and is used only in an emergency.

These stick supports are used for all flowers and plants placed in high vases, but for water-growing flowers in low receptacles the lead rings and metal holders are used in the ways described later. [48]