Deoembei' 23, 1875. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE QARDENEB,' 



557 



the under Bide of the leaf, and a similar fanlt was onoe found 

 witb Borne Boaemary that was worked into the same purpose. 

 I have never tried Butcher's Broom, its harshness seems against 

 it ; but I have seen a very neat wreath of Myrtle, which, how- 

 ever, cannot always be had in quantity. Cupressus Lam- 

 bertiana makes a very nice wreath, and so does most of the 

 others that do not present the flattened form of the Arbor- 

 VitfB class. Pinuses sometimes are used, but they are not 

 generally admired; and all the Silver Fir section, like the 

 common Laurel, look best when a good large branch is fixed 

 up without mutilation. But there is ample variety of material 

 to work into the purpose stated. 



In mentioning the above as being capable of being made to 

 any extent, I may add that they unite together very well by 

 tying the string that forms them together, and the joint is not 

 perceived. I may also add that they will carry about anywhere 

 without any material injury, which is an important matter 

 when they have to be sent to a distance. A very Uttle tack 

 will suffice to loop them up anywhere almost, while a room 

 may be crossed and recrossed as many times as it is thought 

 necessary if there be a central fastening by which they can be 

 attached to the ceiling, as a hanging gaslight or chandelier ; 

 and should the burners be too close to the evergreens by being 

 underneath them, it is better to have a piece of naked wire to 

 fasten their ends to rather than run any risk of their igniting ; 

 but we have seen the wreaths remain all right within about 

 4 feet of the burners without taking any harm. Still it is 

 better to err on the safe side, and a piece of wire fastened to 

 the stem of the gas burner or the chain of the chandelier may 

 extend so far as to reach beyond the action of the flame, 

 and all will be safe. I may further add that it is not unusual 

 to ornament these wreaths with paper rosettes, spikes of 

 flowers, or anything that may be desired. A very good effect 

 is produced by sticking-iu shoots of the common Privet when 

 loaded with its black shining fruit ; while, perhaps, a more 

 pretty effect is produced when berried Ivy is used by taking 

 the trouble to dip the berries in a sort of batter made of 

 plaster of Paris and water. It dries and hardens in a minute, 

 :ind ought to be done before the festoon is made, taking, how- 

 ever, a little more care than is otherwise done that it does not 

 pet knocked off ; but if it be well done it will bear a good deal 

 of hardship, and is very showy, puzzling many what it really 

 is, the snowy whiteness contrasting strongly with the glossy 

 green leaves. Such wreaths may be made of such a variety 

 of material that it is not unlikely but I may have omitted 

 several really useful things ; but one I would not like to pass 

 by, and that is of dead foliage, and here the Oak comes out 

 best of anything; and where twigs well clothed with old leaves 

 can bo had they may be made to form an important feature 

 ia an Airangement. Other dead leaves may also be tried, but 

 I havo not seen any that I like so well as the Oak ; and I may 

 further add that I have been disappointed in the effect pro- 

 duced by a festoon of Cineraria maritima, its leaves so soon 

 fell and had a wretched look; but I daresay some of the 

 variegated Euonymus would be better; but on this head, per- 

 haps, enough has been said. 



Besides the above way of making a continuous wreath or 

 string of evergreens any length that may be required, there is 

 another mode equally quick ; it takes fewer evergreens, and 

 many affirm it looks better. The plan is this : — Cut the twigs 

 into equal lengths, say 6 or 8 inches, and having the string 

 fixed at one end as in the former case, the twigs are merely 

 tied crossways by a knot fastened to them in the middle, 

 usually two twigs being tied together, with a head or point 

 each way ; and at the distance of about 2 inches, either more 

 or less as the case may be, two more are fastened in like 

 manner, and so on to any length, the whole of the shoots 

 being crossways to the string. Generally a mixture of ever- 

 greens looks better done this way than when only one kind is 

 used, and some like the plan belter than the one " heads to 

 tails " previously described ; but when it has to be sent to a 

 distance it s liable to get entangled, unless it be wound round 

 and round something hke a very wide board or frame, when it 

 may be undone and hung up in its place. It is very hght, and 

 in many places is doubtless better than the heavier one, but 

 both may be used together with advantage, and then the com- 

 parison may be made, which it ig not easy to give an opinion 

 on without seeing them. Of course in the making of such 

 wreaths great care is necessary not to entangle any of the leaves. 

 I may mention here, that neither in this nor in the other 

 mode of making such ropes of evergreens is an extra string 

 wanted. Beginners sometimes start with one, but if the 



festooning be hung up by one end the chances are the ever- 

 greens will all slip down to the bottom, so that even when an 

 extraordinary heavy wreath is required it is best to have the 

 string in proportionate strength, and only use one. In a lofty 

 room, or in the open air, where a heavy massive wreath is 

 wanted, say of common Laurel or Oak branches, if it has to 

 be hung, let the cord which suspends them be also the one 

 that secures them together. 



Of the mode by which such festooning may be used in a 

 room, the taste of those having the duty of hanging them up 

 will be called into operation, and very little or no damage need 

 be done by such light-made articles as those described. Where 

 there is a moulding we have seen them merely suspended on 

 some part that projects upward, or anywhere where a little 

 hold can be had, as it is only the matter of a few ounces. It 

 is easy to judge that almost anything will bear that. Some- 

 times it happens when there is nothing at the particular place 

 to attach the wreath to, a little bit of stick may be introduced 

 between two lateral projections euffioieutly light to bear the 

 little weight required, or we have sometimes known a common 

 pin forced in where wanted do all that was necessary ; but 

 where there is a wooden cornice it often happens that a 

 small tent hook may be inserted in some recess of the 

 moulding where it will leave no mark whin taken out. As 

 a wreath of the kind alluded to may be made to surround 

 the frame of the mantelpiece looking-glass, a pin or two 

 keeping it in its place if the moulding in the frame be not 

 sufficient. In a similar way wreaths may hang from each 

 cornice to within about 5 feet of the ground, when, as has 

 been before observed, they may be made to cross and re- 

 cross the room diagonally or at right angles in any manner 

 that may be required. We once had a rather large public 

 room to decorate, lighted by seven gas burners or chandeliers, 

 hanging in a row from the centre of the ceiling, which was too 

 high to be reached from the floor ; but there being access to 

 the roof above, and there being openings where the gas pipe 

 descended, a cord was lowered, and from each of the same 

 places a set of four wreaths was drawn up, which were attached 

 to places at the top of the walls at a sufficient angle from 

 whence they started, so that by crossing each other the large 

 plain roof was in a manner intersected by the wreathing, so 

 as to form a series of diamond shapes ; while from the places 

 on the walls where these were secured to, loops of the same 

 were carried round ; sometimes a double row of the latter has 

 been worked out, for the arrangement may be varied in many 

 ways. 



Apart from the hanging festooning above alluded to, much 

 the same sort of a wreath may be made by tying the evergreens 

 on to a wire bent in some fanciful form ; and where the room 

 is too low to allow the evergreen rope as we may call it to be 

 suspended from the oeihng, a very good effect may be pro- 

 duced by preparing a number &f wire scrolls to stretch a little 

 way across the ceiling, and, in fact, to touch it, somewhat in 

 the form of oantalivers. These will, however, require to be 

 tied rather securely to the cornice, or the top of the wall 

 where the cornice usually is, one tie being generally sufficient. 

 Uusually ordinary fencing wire will be stout enough for this, 

 and the lighter it is the better if it will bear the dressing, 

 which I need hardly say ought to be light also, yet enough to 

 hide the wire. Sometimes a sort of double scroll can be fixed 

 to the opening from whence the chandelier ia suspended, and 

 the scrollwork from it almost meet that from the sides. This 

 is much lighter than where the festoon hangs, and is better for 

 a room deficient in height. We Lave sometimes used wire of 

 a slender kind, plaiting it double or more when strength was 

 wanted, and terminating single at the extremity where light- 

 ness was required. Wire, in fact, is exceedingly pliable, and 

 to the church decorator is an all-important agent, its only 

 drawback being that it adds so much to the weight of the 

 ornament when fastenings of the most slender kind only are 

 allowed. 



As we have elsewhere said that wherever possible and prac- 

 ticable a branch of an Oak or common Laurel, and several 

 others look better in their entire condition than when cut 

 into fragments to work-up into the form described, and a very 

 good effect is often produced by a number of branches of com- 

 mon Laurel fastened on to the cornice of a room one piece 

 after another, partly against the ceiUng and part down the 

 sides ; but this can only be done in the room and with suitable 

 fastenings ; but we have known these nailed on to a narrow 

 board like those used by slaters, which if coloured green do 

 not show much, and their lengths can be fixed up fast enough . 



