158 The Floral Decoration of 



bolder arrangement of details must be aimed at with 

 them to have a good effect. 



Miss A. Hassard, a well-known authority on such 

 matters, gives some excellent hints on floral decorations 

 in the ' Floral World and Garden Guide,' which I 

 cannot do better than quote here for your benefit. 

 Speaking of stands in the number for January, 1874, 

 page 6, she says there are only four of the numerous 

 varieties used which she can admire ; " for they do not 

 intercept the view, are easy to fit up, and not expensive 

 to purchase. They are as follows : — The true Marchian ; 

 the Marchian with trumpet and top tazza; a high, 

 slender trumpet, with three curved trumpets branching 

 from it ; and a large tazza with single trumpet rising 

 out of the centre. These shapes when fitted up lightly 

 look very effective ;" and, " When going to arrange a 

 stand, see that the glass is well polished, for half the 

 effect depends on the brightness and glitter of the 

 crystal, which sets off flowers to greater advantage than 

 any other material. To keep glass clean it should be 

 washed with nothing but cold water." 



It is not necessary that the cut flowers used for deco- 

 ration should be rare or costly ; lovely arrangements 

 can be got up with the hardy garden or common wild 

 flotvers, associated with wild ferns, grasses, and many 

 other simple objects of the garden, wood, or field, when 

 the rarer stove and greenhouse flowers are unattainable. 

 As an example of this I quote again from Miss Hassard, 

 page 8 of the same number — a description of "the 

 drawing-room stands to which the first, second, and 

 third prizes were awarded at the Provincial Show of 



