106 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



drooped thickly round the edge, and exposed to view the edge of a 

 common china smicer, which same saucer formed tlie tazza, and the 

 trumpet was formed b}^ a well-shaped specimen glass being placed in 

 the centre of the saucer. This little plan is worth knowing, as 

 every one who attempts floral arrangements of any description pos- 

 sesses a few specimen glasses and, need I add, are likely to have 

 saucers for their teacups. Four of these little contrivances and the 

 same number of specimen glasses grouped round a nice plant of 

 Pteris treraula or Adiantum cuneatum would have a pretty effect on 

 a small dinner-table. After the flower-tubes were placed in the 

 saucers, the saucers were filled Ixi with silver sand, which was then 

 made damp and planted over with a few tufts of Selaginella den- 

 ticulata, which, if the sand be kept damp, will continue growing for 

 weeks, and the flowers need only be replenished. 



The saucer of one stand was filled with yellow rose-buds, 

 Neapolitan violets, leaves of sweet-scented geraniums, a few fronds 

 of Adiantum cuneatum, and the edge finished ofi" by a thick wreath 

 of fern fronds ; in the little trumpet or specimen glass were simply 

 a few sprays of Deutzia gracilis and ferns. The other little stand 

 was arranged in just the same style, with the exception of scarlet 

 pelargoniums in place of the violets. 



My own four specimens, above mentioned, were arranged in pairs 

 as follows : — Two were filled with white azaleas, Deutzia gracilis, 

 Spirffia, well- flowered spikes of a bright cerise Epacris, and fronds 

 of Adiantum cuneatum. In the tathor pair the same flowers were 

 employed, with the addition of some blooms of a bright blue Cine- 

 raria, of a variety which retains its blue colour by gaslight. These 

 little vases were arranged round a small but well shaped plant of 

 Adiantum cuneatum, and had a very pleasing efiect. Ic can hardly 

 be imagined how a few little flowers and the trouble of arranging 

 them will brighten and give a nice refined look to a dinner-table or 

 drawing-room, that far more costly things will fail to do. But this 

 IS a fact, a few simple flowers, if nicely arranged, often have quite as 

 good an efiect as more expensive kinds. 



ORNAMENTAL GEASSES. 



EY JOHN WALSH. 



^S the inflorescence of some of the most beautiful grasses is 

 of so much value for intermixing with ferns and flowers 

 employed in dinner-table decorations, and also ex- 

 tremely useful for drying for winter bouquets, many 

 ladies may perhaps like to obtain further information 

 respecting them. I have accordingly prepared a few notes upon the 

 subject, from which may be gathered the names of the best kinds 

 for the purposes indicated, and the most simple manner of cultivat- 

 ing them. It is possible to overdo the table decorations with 

 grasses, and at all the public exhibitions examples are presented in 



