NOVEMBER 8, 1900. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



675 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



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Table Decorations. 



Table ilwoiation could be made an und- 

 li'ss subject, for it is largely a matter of 

 individual opinion. Whatever we have 

 scribbled in this department of the Re- 

 view has been but the reflections of our 

 own experiences. There is no part of the 

 florist's business so exacting or that re- 

 quires so much ability, not mere artistic 

 ability, but tact, self-confidence, courage, 

 diplomacy or anything you wish to say, 

 tliat calls for being equal to all elements 

 >:f human nature. The florist meets 

 part of it when Madam orders the flow- 

 ers, he meets it in other forms in the 

 kitchen, in the pantry, and in the dining 

 room of the house where he goes to exe- 

 cute the order, and in many cases it is 

 liard to bear. We have found it best to 

 make friends of all except where it re- 

 quired a lowering of one's dignity. By 

 that we only mean that the florist who 

 can successfully decorate a table is equal, 

 in many cases superior in intelligence in 

 a way to any one employed in a house, 

 and should not act otherwise. The world 

 is made queer by the people who are in 

 it, and if you aspire to success you must 

 study and know the people you depend 

 on. 



There is nothing living which is not 

 dependent. The vanities of civilization 

 aim to hide that fact. Numerous are 

 those who consider themselves beyond 

 the need of advice, but still more numer- 

 ous are they who hunger for or take it. 

 Florists should realize and appreciate 

 the fact that the wealthiest, the most 

 artistic and intelligent of people invaria- 

 bly consult or abide by his ideas consider- 

 ing table decoration. 



They often give him credit for what 

 lie does not possess and vice versa; never- 

 theless, they are inclined to display con- 

 lidence and he to assume responsibilties 

 which are great. It often occurs that 

 the florist is looked upon as an authority 

 on all pertaining to the beauty of the 

 dinner table, and many times, in the case 

 of young people, or those unaccustomed 

 to giving formal dinners, there is much 

 hesitancy which can be dispelled by a 

 few hints from the florist. 



In any ease there is no harm in know- 

 ing how to set a table and what consti- 

 tutes a properly dressed table. There are 

 no set rules, for every woman or butler 

 have little fancies of their own which 

 they delight in bringing into prominence 

 on every occasion, and more particularly 

 where it is expected there will be a con- 

 centration of attention. There are, how- 

 ever, general principles which all have 

 to recognize. 



In the first place, perhaps you are 

 called upon to give size of table required 

 for a certain number of people, and this 

 is very often influenced by size of room, 

 etc. But wo will deal with a table 

 specially set for exhibition. Take a 

 round table feet in diameter; this will 

 be large enough for a party of eight. 

 The requirements for a formal dinner are 

 that the plates should be set every 

 24 inches; j'ou can size your table ac- 

 cordingly. First the table is covered 

 with a thick cotton sheet; this is usually 

 padded to the thickness of a blanket; it 

 should reach 6 to 12 inches over the rim 

 of the table; its purpose is to make the 

 linen set better and to deaden the sound 

 of the dishes. The linen cloth over this 

 should be immaculately clean, of the fin- 

 est quality, and the creases should radi- 

 ate from the very center of the table; 

 make sure of this, because it is of great 

 importance. This cloth should never be 

 skimpy, nor reach the floor. Many table 

 cloths are woven in square or circular 

 design, and care must be taken to match 

 the shape of your table. 



When the cloth is properly set and 

 smoothed out, set your dinner plates at 

 regular distances of 24 inches; if the 

 table is a shade too large divide the 

 space between the plates, but they must 

 be exact and be an inch or TJ inches from 

 the edge of the table; plates should be di- 

 rectly opposite each other. Three forks 

 are put on the left of the plate, bowls 

 facing up, and three knives on the right 

 of the plate, edges facing the plate; 

 soup spoon is sometimes put across in 

 front of the plate; the best place for it is 

 between the knives and the plate, with 

 the oyster fork next to it. The bowls of 

 the spoon and fork should face up. Five 

 glasses are usually placed a little in 

 and to the right of each plate. These 

 consist of water, champagne, sherry, 

 white wine and claret glasses. The color 

 and grouping of these glasses do much 

 to enhance the table. The water glass 

 is supposed to be nearest the plate and 

 the wine glass to be used first nearest 

 edge of table; they should be grouped 

 together compactly, the tallest in the 

 back. 



The candlesticks are a matter of choice, 

 but they should be of a kind, and be 

 placed where they will not obstruct the 

 view; a single stem with three branches 

 is perhaps the best, and two of such is 

 suflieient for our present table. The 

 candles, at least the shades, should match 

 the flowers. Too much care cannot be 

 exercised in the selection of candle 

 shades; often people will spend hundreds 

 of dollars for flowers and begrudge $5,00 



for correct colored shades, and the con- 

 sequences are often a spoiled table. Can- 

 dles should be a little higher than tha 

 flowers, because they thus shed their 

 light on the decoration. 



Fruit, such as apples, oranges, ba- 

 nanas, etc, are kept on the sideboard. 

 Two choice bunches of greenhouse grapes 

 on silver dishes are placed between tha 

 candlesticks, dishes of small cakes, can- 

 dies and salted almonds are usually 

 placed at convenient positions, as are 

 salt and pepper holders; made up con- 

 fectionery or solids of any kind are not 

 put on the table; they are carved and 

 si-rved from the sideboard or pantry in 

 courses; butter, sugar, sauces, and such 

 are not used on the table. 



A napkin is placed on each plate and 

 the folding of such is a matter of per- 

 sonal taste or ingenuity; however, it 

 should never appear a puzzle for the 

 guest to open it; the simplest way is 

 often the best. A small roll of bread is 

 placed in the napkin. A menu card is 

 placed in front of the host and hostess 

 and a card bearing the name of each 

 guest is placed on the napkin where it 

 can be easily seen. The make-up of these 

 cards is often cause for hard thinking. 



Sometimes a table is spoiled by a very 

 small circumstance and the simplest way- 

 is mostly always the safest. Some peo- 

 ple do many things for novelty's sake, 

 such as painting the guests' names on 

 leaves, and getting up elaborate designs 

 in cards; there is no harm in painting 

 a guest's name on bay leaves, but a good 

 quality, small, plain card is best. Finger 

 bowk are not put on the table till re- 

 quired. Dishes are served on the left of 

 the gucst,-and in consideration of this 

 corsage bouquets should be worn on the 

 right. The gentlemen's boutonnieres 

 should be placed facing him on the nap- 

 kin behind the card, the ladies' flowers 

 on the table to the left of the plate and 

 a foot or so from the edge of the table. 

 It mostly depends on the material you 

 use, but a 14 to 18-inch basket is large 

 enough for a 0-foot table. 



The general efl'ect of a well set dinner 

 table should be cleanliness, rich, yet 

 delicate and dainty. Overcrowding of 

 dishes is as bad as overcrowding of flow- 

 ers. Nothing should be there to spoil 

 the appetite, and everything should be 

 convenient for at least the gentlemen to 

 reach and assist the ladies to. 



We wrote of the floral part of the table 

 last week and it is unnecessary to repeat 

 it. Rest assured that a properly set 

 American dinner table is the best to be 

 seen anywhere, and the florists are re- 

 sponsible for it being so. In Europe, 

 where (lowers are not so profusely used, 

 most of the food is put on the table where 

 the carving is also done. In other cases 

 the table is fixed up with fruit, and again 

 dishes constitute the principal feature. 

 The finest service in the world can be 

 seen in New York, and it very rarely oc- 

 curs that the richest gold vase is consid- 

 ered good enough unless it contains flow- 

 ers. In other countries family heirlooms 

 are forced before everyone's eye; here 

 among the best people the beautiful is 



