TUE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 7 



flowers on tLe table, they give too much colour, and make almost a 

 glare ; whereas the green of the ferns tones down the mass of colour 

 and relieves the eye. The rough pots should be dropped inside 

 ornamental ones, and over the surface of the soil silver-sand or fresh 

 green moss should be spread. 



The varieties of cut flowers employed on the table must be chosen 

 according to the season of the year; but in selecting it should always 

 be remembered if they are to be used in artificial light or daylight. 

 If the former, care should be taken that they are of tints that will 

 not change, as most of our mauves, purples, yellows, etc , change 

 when placed under artificial light sadly for the worse. As a rule, 

 for night work, they should be avoided. If possible, all flowers 

 (stove and greenhouse varieties) should be cut off plants that have 

 been well cooled ofi", as otherwise they are liable to flag. In some 

 cases this is impossible, but as far as one can they should avoid using 

 those that have been grown in great heat. The same way with 

 ferns; they should be cut off plants in a cool house; old fronds 

 should be selected, particularly of Adiantum cuneatum (the lightest 

 by far of this class for mixing through flowers), as, if young, shortly 

 after being cut they will shrivel up, and tlieir beauty is gone. The 

 ends of the stems of all flowers and ferns should be cut in a slanting 

 form with a sharp knife, as this allows them to draw up moisture 

 more freely than if crushed, as they would be if they were broken 

 oft" or cut with a pair of scissors. The more moisture they draw, as 

 a matter of course, the longer they will remain fresh. Before fixing 

 fern fronds in their places, I always dip them in a can or basin of 

 water with the chill taken off; after having dipped the fronds, I 

 give them a gentle shake, which apparently removes all the water, 

 but a dampness remains, which tends to keep them fresh. Wild 

 grasses have been much used lately amongst cut flowers, and I con- 

 sider, if used judiciously, they give a very light and elegant appear- 

 ance. A few notes on this subject will be found in the Floral 

 World for September, 1872. 



The decoration of fruit on the dinner table is that which next 

 comes under our notice. But like selecting the flowers, it must 

 depend on what you can command. Ferns and foliage to associate 

 with fruit are far the most elegant, though I know many people like 

 a floral dressing better; but this depends on taste. Flowers or 

 foliage must be selected that will stand fresh longest, as, when 

 grouped with fruit, there is no wet sand or moss to keep them 

 refreshed. A very good plan is, if you have to keep them for any 

 long period, to get a number of little glass tubes, such as are sold 

 for coat flowers, fill them with water, place the stems of your flowers 

 or foliage in them, and then conceal the little tubes amongst the 

 fruit. This is very easily done, and your little bouquets will keep 

 fresh for a very long time. Many of our out-of-door plants are 

 quite as effective for the decoration of fruit as our indoor ones. 

 Take for example the variegated maple, or white negundo, as a sub- 

 stitute for Cyperus alteruifolius, the tinted leaves of the Virginian 

 creeper for coleus, and so on. If some of the fruit be in china or 

 glass baskets, a spray of small variegated ivy looks well twisted 



January. 



