180 BRITISH FLORAL DECORATION 



tions. Children should be taught to observe how 

 the flower grows, and if it has an upright habit 

 what folly it is to arrange it drooping, when perhaps 

 only the back of an otherwise beautiful specimen 

 is shown. I do not hesitate to say that, as the 

 years go on and these children grow up, we shall 

 find them, if circumstances allow, well able to 

 compete, yes, and win ! against others who have 

 been decorating at shows for years. Certainly 

 great strides have been made in various decorations 

 at flower shows, but much remains yet before we 

 can say perfection has been reached. Take the 

 class for Table Decoration (and no show can keep 

 the public interest alive without these Decorative 

 Sections), and you will find that most societies 

 have various restrictions which cramp competitors' 

 work and should be done away with. A sweetly 

 simple table is one of little cut glasses, and for a 

 centre nothing more than a salad-bowl. These 

 should be filled with little single weed Camo- 

 mile and the ever-popular Scarlet Poppy with 

 some highly coloured Hornbeam, young Oak shoots, 

 trails of Bramble, deep rich bronze-red leaves, 

 emphasising the Poppy, as well as sprigs of Dock, 

 Sorrel, gone or going to seed, and light grasses 

 having a brown hue : clear crystal glass and great 



