59 
Composition of Line and the principle of Radiation, cannot be 
dispensed with by the designer, for it is by means of these two 
that he groups his leaves and flowers to the best advantage, 
taking care not only of the position of each leaf but also of its 
relation to others by which it is surrounded. 
All representations of things which we adopt from nature, 
whether they be plant or animal forms must undergo some modi- 
fication or be what is commonly known as conventionalised. 
This means simply that we are to limit the imitation according 
to the materiat in which we work, for instance, in a cotton print 
we may render the beautiful contours of leaves or flowers by the 
process of printing, whereas in a carpet it is impossible to 
obtain the samé refinement of line owing to its construction. 
The beauty of @arpets depends more upon colour, the dis- 
tribution of form in the design, and the softness of its texture. 
If we represent & leaf in either wood, stone or metal, each 
material would necessitate a different treatment. There has been 
during the last feW years a tendency by some cotton printers 
and also manufacturers of certain wares to imitate the patterns 
and the treatment of another class of goods, such as carpet or 
lace effects upon cotton prints and wall papers, &c.; whenever 
this is done it shows poverty of invention, and is a sign of weak- 
ness on the part of the designer. Another evil tendency is to 
strive after pictorial effects in textiles, this not only adds materi- 
ally to the cost of production, but it is labour thrown away as 
regards decorative effect. There is no necessity for subtle light 
and shade, which requite all the skill of an artist to depict on 
canvas, and which would lose their importance when multiplied 
indefinitely over the surface of a wall or on a textile. Suppose 
for example we have a piece of decoration which contains the 
portrait of some well-known person, it might not be out of place 
if we had only one, but think what would be the effect if the 
same was repeated over a large area. The only value we should 
derive from it then would be as so many blots of colour. Figures 
or animals when repeated, should add interest by the variety of 
form and attitude which they are capable of giving, and should 
be used in the simplest and broadest possible manner; they are 
of the highest class of elements which can be made use of in 
designs, and require greater knowledge and skill to treat them 
successfully. 
I have now only one other matter I wish to allude to briefly 
before I conclude. I should like to induce our young ladies who 
have a moderate amount of spare time to add the study of design 
to their course of education, and I feel sure that the increased 
pleasure it would give, would thoroughly recompense them for the 
