3SG THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Palms are another class of plants well adapted for tlie decoration 

 of sitting-rooms. On the dinner-table a handsome palm may be 

 employed, either as a centre-piece, or a pair at the top and bottom. 

 Per a centre, nothing is more effective than a plant of Chamcedorea 

 elegans, and for small plants, Cocas Weddcliana. I need hardly 

 remark the latter plant is quite as well suited for a centre as 

 the ChamiEdorea, hwt in small places it is not often to be met 

 with of a size sufficient for this purpose. There are many others 

 I could enumerate, but space will not allow me. 



Next under our notice come brilliaut-coloured foliage plants, 

 such as Alocasias, Begonias, Caladimns, Coleiis, Crotoiis, Gi/pruSy 

 DraccBnas, Iresine, Maranta, etc. There is a difference of opinion 

 as to using highly-coloured foliage plants, in conjunction with other 

 floral decorations, where the latter are employed on the table. I 

 must say, for my own part, I prefer to see plants used with green 

 leaves or fronds only ; but where cut flowers are not employed in 

 the decoration to any very great extent, I think nothing looks better 

 than well-coloured plants of crotons, caladiums, or such like. 

 Flowering plants are also very efl'ective for room or table deco- 

 ration, but to give a list of these would occupy far too much 

 space, so let it suffice to say small and compact grown specimens 

 of whatever are in season are best. At the present time, Epipliyllum- 

 trimcatum is in brilliant condition. 



As the common pots in which j^laats are grown are anything 

 but ornamental, these must be concealed as far aa possible. There 

 are many ways of doing this; sonse drop them into China pots, 

 others into cases made of paper, porcelain, wood, or rustic terra cotta, 

 and some cover them simply with fronds of the common brake fern 

 [Fterls aquilina), by inserting the ends of the fronds in the damp 

 soil of the pot, and then giving them a crack so as to make them 

 droop round, and hide the earthen pot underneath. The latter is 

 the most inexpensive way, as the braken fern is found in almost 

 every hedgerow ; but it is at the same time the most troublesome, as 

 the fronds so placed last but a comparatively short time, and it is 

 only in summer we can find them. Every decorator, as a rule, has 

 his or her own opinion as to what is the best form of outer case, 

 and mine is a handsome china pot, for, though this is the most 

 expensive, it is the cheapes^t in the end, as paper cases, and such 

 like, become shabby in a short time, but the china pot, if carefully 

 handled, will last for years. After the pots in which the plants are 

 growing have been dropped into the outer cases, the surface of the 

 soil should be concealed with silver-sand, or fresh green moss from 

 the woods. 



All plants in rooms should be well watered, and never once 

 allowed to become dry. If this is the case with ferns, and the 

 fronds once become shrivelled, no amount of water will ever bring- 

 them round again. The best way is to feel the soil every morning, 

 and if it is dry, the plants should be lifted out of their outer cases, 

 be well watered, and let drain before they are lifted back again, and 

 all such plants as palms, india-rubbers, etc., should have their 

 leaves sponged over once or twice a week at the least. By a little 



