566 



JOURNAL OP HOBTIOULTUBB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



( December 24, 1874. 



pleasing forms and glowing colours, since any kind of artificial 

 ornaments, provided they are gracefal, would do this almost as 

 well as natural flowers. They are introdnced, or ought to be 

 nsed, as appropriate incentives to kindly thoughts and pure re- 

 ligious feelings; hence we should avoid the employment of 

 paltry effects in stained Immortelles or gaudy paper flowers, as 

 being in bad keeping with the object we desire to attain. If we 

 bear the object of church decorations in mind, and endeavour to 



or branch, so that by tying in this way every branchlet is looped 

 round twice, and thus firmly secured in its place. Clusters of 

 white Immortelles or scarlet berries alternately are very effective 

 in wreaths of dark green foliage. The twine used for tying 

 should be cut into lengths C feet long, and should be looped 

 round the stems without cutting. Longer lengths than this will 

 be awkward to draw through the noose. Green and variegated 

 Ivies, HoUies, and Euonymus, make nice wreaths, as also do 



rigs. 158 and 159. — CaracH decoration.-. 



attain that object, there will be but little fear of inharmonious 

 combinations, or the introduction of anything likely to ofiend 

 the good taste of anyone present. All laboured attempts at 

 religious decoration are superfluous, and often spoil the effect 

 one has in view. We use flowers and fruits to give an idea of 

 God's bounty and providential goodness ; and the more simple 

 our arrangements are, the more likely is this end to be attained. 

 Simplicity and graceful beauty or elegance are more often sy- 

 nonymous than is generally snpposed, and this is especially the 



Fig, 160. 



case with regard to floral decorations for churches.'-" Wreaths of 

 Ivy and other evergreens are very useful in Christmas deco- 

 rations, and are easily made on thick twine or cord. Small 

 sprays or little branchlets are preferable to single leaves, as they 

 go further, and are not so stiff and formal as those made with 

 leaves stripped from the stems. To make a wreath, take a 

 branch or spray of foliage, and commence at one end of your 

 cord. Lay the branch along the cord pointing towards the end 

 from which you start, and just loop it round with a bit of thin 

 twine. Now add another spray and loop it in the same way. 

 This last loop shoald aiso just catch the base of the first spray 



sprays'of Portugal Laurel, Aucuba, Juniper, Thuja, Tew, Ta- 

 marisk," and Box. Light and graceful wreaths look well twined 

 spirally; round columns, or carried round the tracery of Gothic 

 arches, or the mulUons of large windows. For the altar-cloth 

 nothing looks better than a simple cross of silvery Immortelles 

 and Grasses. This should be large enough to stand out clear 

 and bright ; but the size will be regulated by the dimensions of 

 the' cloth itself. We have tried many devices for the altar-cloth 

 aud^pulpit, 1 but nothing is better than a bold cross^or the mo- 



nogram IHS either in white Immortelles or scarlet berries. 

 Texts tastefully formed in foliage and berries look well on scrolls 

 or shields ; while neat wooden shapes may be used for initials, 

 monograms, and pleasing geometrical designs, such as crosses of 

 various shapes, circles, or stars. Any carpenter or model-maker 

 will make them in a few hours (see Jigs. 138-161). Some make 

 these designs by glueing leaves and berries on pasteboard shapes. 

 If the cloth is crimson or dark blue the Everlastings stand out 

 clear and bright, and are then very effective. The flowers used 

 in East«r or harvest decorations should be of graceful form, 

 bright or distinct colours, and should be ananged bo that the 



