24 
THE ORCHID WORLD. 
FLORAL ART. 
British Floral Decoration. By R. Forester 
Felton, F.R.H.S., F.Z.S. (Adam and 
Charles Black, /s. 6d.) 
" Floral Decoration " is an ujD-to-date work 
upon a popular subject. Of flowers much 
has been said and sung, but the art of using 
them to the best advantage, so that their 
beauty and endless variety may please the 
eye and gladden the heart, is worthy of 
serious study. Towards this end Mr. Felton 
has produced a work exceedingly well got up, 
a credit to the author, the artist and the 
printer. When we find the eloquent Sir 
Albert K. Rollit introducing it with a pre- 
fatory note we feel safe in sounding its 
praises and owning its value. " Soul, mind, 
and the moral and aesthetic conscience are 
enriched by flowers, and anyone who, like 
the author of this book, does much to increase 
the love and culture and artistic use of them 
renders the very best service to mankind." 
.So writes Sir Albert in his prefatory note to 
this work. 
Conversation can never flag if there are 
beautiful flowers to talk about, and many an 
awkward breach in the sequence of dinner 
courses can be comfortably tided over if the 
guests have something upon which to feast 
their eyes ; the " beautiful flowers " may be 
already yours, but to arrange them into 
" something " is an art. It is this art that 
Mr. Felton so clearly explams in his recently- 
published book, a work of love's labour to 
which everyone must be indebted, for 
The whole world without art and dress 
Would be but one great wilderness." 
We are pleased to read the author's 
remark : " A retrospect of ten vears indis- 
putably reveals the fact that the science of 
floral decoration in England has made more 
rapid progress than that ot any other art, as 
during that period we have abolished the 
masses of coloured gauze, ribbons and silk 
table-centres which were once constantly in 
evidence on all smart dinner-tables, and with 
these French and German methods, mirrors, 
epergnes and many other things have ceased 
to exist." And further on : " In using cut 
flowers for decoration always arrange them 
as you find them in Nature Never try to 
make flowers look up when Nature has 
decreed that they shall look down ; remember 
Dryden : ' Art may err, but Nature cannot 
miss.' " 
Mr. Felton's desire for conformity with 
environment and general congruity, which 
always governs true artists, is shown at its 
best in his manner of treating, in the Japanese 
style, the entrance hall at Claridge's on the 
occasion of the reception given in honour of 
T.R.H. Prince and Princess Nashimoto of 
Japan, June, 1909. Some beautiful coloured 
photographic pages of this and other designs 
are included in the book, of which notice 
must be taken of a Court bouquet made for 
Her Majesty Queen Alexandra, composed 
entirely of Cat thy a Mossice and sprays of 
Odontogl ossnm crispiim. 
Chapter 7 is entirely devoted to Orchids. 
Our readers will agree with the author's 
remark : " One of the greatest charms that 
orchids possess lies in the fact that they 
never produce two sprays of flowers ot 
exactly the same line ; like the human race, 
every one is different in some slight detail 
either of colour, shape or size." 
A list of more than sixtv kinds of orchids 
suitable for decorative purposes is given. 
Ccelogyne pandnrata is mentioned as "per- 
haps the greenest flower in existence," 
Vanda coerulea "one of the most exquisite 
colours in the world of flowers," and Cyni- 
bidiinu cbuniciim " very decorative when 
used with other orchids, and they may be 
relied upon to last many weeks in water." 
We notice one slight error on page 1 05 — 
probably the printer's : in Cattleya labiata 
aurca this latter word should be in the next 
line after Dowiana. 
We trust in the next edition Mr. Felton 
will have still more to say in favour of the 
decorative value of orchids, and not forget 
their charm as a button-hole. 
We heartily recommend this book to all 
lovers of Nature as being not only an art 
book for the drawing-room table, but a prac- 
tical guide for all those, both amateur and 
professional, who wish to attain perfection 
in this fascinating art. 
There is also an " author's edition " at 
1 2s. 6d., which can only be obtained through 
the author, and which makes a charming 
addition to the boudoir-table. 
