238 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



to the part wliicli more directly bears upon the gardener's view, viz., 

 the putting up of the flowers. 



In the first place, then, let me say, that although I shall be 

 candid, I hope the fair readers of the PloraI/ World will not think 

 me harsh or unkind when I say that a change in the arrangement of 

 flowers for this purpose is needed in many instances. I do not say 

 but what there are very many ladies who can make up a display in 

 the most tasteful manner, but the generality of them seem to forget 

 at the moment of doing so the position that they will occupy ; that 

 is to say, they forget that these forms and colours which are pleas- 

 ing and beautiful by daylight are not seen to the same advantage 

 even in the most brilliantly lighted room by gaslight. This is, of 

 course, an important consideration, for what may appear to be the 

 most effective arrangement by daylight will in all probability be 

 the least satisfactory with an artificial light. Take any light yellow 

 colour for an instance, and under a strong light at arm's-length it 

 presents a dull kind of white ; and that is the case with most half- 

 tints or shades of colour. While I am on the subject of colour, let 

 me say that I feel confident that if green glass were used for the 

 formation of the stands, of whatever form, the more eff'ective would 

 be the flowers placed in them. The old-fashioned silver epergnes 

 and Marsh's glass stands are in themselves too brilliant, and they 

 detract from the beauty of the colours. What flowers require in 

 such a position is a quiet, unpretending ground-work to show them 

 up, as with the best possible taste in arrangement of colours they 

 can never be so effective by gaslight ; therefore, anything which 

 tends to detract from their beauty should be avoided. For this 

 reason I say daylight exhibitions of these articles are not to be 

 depended upon for final decisions, because very frequently the same 

 productions would be valueless if shown under artificial light. 



But taking the dinner-table decorations as we find them at 

 horticultural exhibitions, I am bound to say we often see objects of 

 superior merit in a decorative point of view, while others are desti- 

 tute of any claim to respect. But if we are to make no advance in 

 the improvement of these useful decorations as regards form, I may 

 be allowed to say that some exhibitors of these articles have plenty 

 of room for improvement in the arrangement of the colours, even 

 whether they are to be shown by daylight or gaslight. The im- 

 provement we require generally is enhancement of elegance with 

 less colour. Solid masses of colour are neither pleasing to the eye 

 nor adapted to the occasion, to say nothing of their possible vul- 

 garity. With a due regard to the choice of colours, and a judicious 

 arrangement of them in such a form as to present a somewhat 

 broken surface mingled with sprigs of green, the most ordinary 

 flowers will be attractive ; but flowers bunched up as if they were 

 to be sent to market and dropped into their respective receptacles, 

 give but a very poor idea of their beauty; whereas if the same 

 were used with taste, and some attempt made at gracefulness in the 

 arrangement, they would make a pleasing feature. 



In making up these subjects, it should be remembered that 

 green has a softening and harmonizing tendency, so that if any 



