266 THE PLANT DECORATION OF APARTMENTS. 



special occasions, is almost sufficient to prevent people tole- 

 rating them indoors at all, and yet the plants are much 

 better grown in England than they are in France. The dif- 

 ference is caused by exceedingly tasteful and frequently pe- 

 culiar arrangement, and by employing effective and graceful 

 kinds. What the Parisians do as regards arrangement may 

 perhaps be best gleaned if, before selecting the kinds most 



Fig. 104. 



Dieffenbachia seguina maculata. 



deserving of indoor culture, I describe the decorations for 

 one of the balls at the H6tel de Ville. 



Entering the Salle St. Jean, the eye was immediately 

 attracted by a luxuriant mass of vegetation at one end; 

 while on the right and immediately round a .mirrored recess 

 was a very tasteful and telling display made as follows :— In 

 front of the large and high mirror stretched a bank of moss, 



