September 28, 1887. ] 
JOURNAT OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTaGE GARDENER. 
243 
COMING EVENTS 
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22 
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£7 
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16tii Sunday after Trinity. 
Royal Horticultural Society—Fruit and Floral Committees at 11 a m. 
FLORAL DECORATIONS. 
INCREASING attention has for some years 
been paid to the encouragement of competi¬ 
tion in floral decorations at exhibitions, and 
'A ^ * s ey l dent ^at ^is l ias contributed greatly 
to the improved, taste now generally manifest 
CSUlh in work of that kind. It is also a depart¬ 
ment in the shows that is very popular, 
especially amongst the ladies, and wherever 
there is a good display of stands, bouquets, wreaths, &c., 
that will usually he found the most crowded portion of 
the exhibition. Even those who become tired of 
contemplating large specimen plants that appear with 
such regularity at a series of shows each year, can find 
something fresh and interesting in the floral competition. 
Recognising some of these facts certain horticultural 
societies have strengthened that part of their schedules 
devoted to the decorative art with considerable benefit 
to their exhibitions and the public. There is, however, 
room for a much greater advance in this respect, as for¬ 
tunately such classes are not confined to any particular 
period in the year. They are as suitable at the November 
Chrysanthemum shows as during spring or summer, and 
at the first named they are becoming quite a permanent 
feature. Flowers and foliage are now used so extensively 
in houses of all kinds that there is no difficulty in obtain¬ 
ing competitors where sufficiently substantial prizes are 
offered. In some country districts the advance has been 
so rapid that this portion has developed into almost a 
show of itself, as for example at Bickley in Kent, and 
Shepperton, wdiere one large tent scarcely suffices to hold 
all the entries. 
At the larger shows, or when the funds are sufficient 
for the purpose, prizes are offered for tables arranged 
for a specified number of persons, usually from six to 
twelve. Classes are also devoted to stands of flowers, 
either single, in pairs, or threes. These can be still 
further diversified in autumn by providing classes for 
stands of berries and foliage, which produce some pretty 
results. Then there are the bridal and other bouquets, 
ladies’ wreaths and buttonhole bouquets, all of which 
constitute interesting classes. In reviewing some of the 
special features of these classes a few words may be first 
devoted to the table decorations, since they aro regarded 
as the most important, and for them the largest prizes 
are provided. When a class is devoted to this form of 
decorative art it is commonly stipulated that the table 
shall be fully dressed—that is, set out with dessert, wine 
glasses, plates, knives and forks, serviettes, &c., and we 
have seen several tasteful arrangements disqualified for 
non-compliance with these conditions, but it is sometimes 
allowed that the stand glasses for flowers and fruit will 
suffice, thus relieving the exhibitors of some difficulty. 
No. 378. —Yol. XV., Third Series. 
For the larger tables, say for ten or twelve persons, 
three epergnes are generally employed in the centre, and 
so much diversity of taste exists with regard to the kind 
employed that the character of the table mainly depends 
upon these. Some have a fancy for tall glass epergnes 
with a large central trumpet and a number of branches 
in tiers, and we have seen examples of these with as 
many as twenty small branches filled with a number of 
varied brightly coloured flowers, the effect producing the 
impression that both time and flowers had been wasted. 
1 he most elegant of these glasses are those with a well 
pioportioned central trumpet, and perhaps one tier of 
blanches with a bowl at the base sufficiently large to 
balance the upper part and admit of an effective arrange¬ 
ment. I hen, too, there is some difference of opinion as 
to whether the two side stands should correspond in 
height with the central one, but as a rule their appear¬ 
ance is much better if they are somewhat smaller than 
the principal one. dliree stands of one form and size do 
not admit of such varied treatment, and the table has 
usually a more pleasing effect when the two side stands 
are dressed alike, the central one as distinct in character 
as possible without destroying the general harmony. A 
still further improvement where lightness is desired is 
the substitution of a couple of graceful Palms for the 
side, stands, either Cocos Weddelliana or Geonoma 
gracilis being admirably adapted for this purpose, but it 
is necessary to avoid having too marked a difference in 
the height of these and the central stand. 
Besides the large epergnes a number of small hand 
classes for single flowers, such as selected Rose buds or 
some simple combination of the buttonhole type add 
much to the finish of the table arrangement, but unless 
some care is exercised in the selection of flowers for this 
purpose the general effect is easily spoiled. For instance, 
we recently saw a table where flowers of Lilium lanci- 
foliutn rubrum were employed in the single glasses, and 
beautiful as these flowers are individually or in tasteful 
arrangement with other flowers, they were quite out of 
place in this way, and materially detracted from an other¬ 
wise good effect. Occasionally large central shallow 
bowls of varied design are employed instead of the glass 
epergnes, but as a rule they have a heavy appearance, 
some remarkable instances of this being shown at the 
Royal Botanic Society’s Exhibition, Regent’s Park, this 
summer. In the arrangement of such tables and in the 
flowers selected for the purpose, the chief points to be 
kept in view are lightness and gracefulness, yet it is in 
neglect of these characters that the majority of unsuccess¬ 
ful exhibitors err. Persons sitting at opposite sides of a 
table do not desire an almost impenetrable screen of 
flowers and foliage between them, but this seems to be 
the object of some decorators to provide. Excellent 
examples of the best styles have been submitted at all the 
leading shows throughout the kingdom by Mr. J. Cypher 
of Cheltenham, and Mr. J. R. Chard of Stoke Newing¬ 
ton, and though each has his special characteristics 
in arrangement, it would be an invidious task to 
determine which displays the most taste. In one 
respect they are similar—namely, they carefully avoid 
heaviness and formality. When they are competing 
in the same classes the judges commonly have an extremely 
difficult task to decide which shall take precedence. 
. Amongst northern exhibitors Mr. Thompson, The Her¬ 
mitage Gardens, Chester-le-Street, has gained consider¬ 
able fame, and many substantial awards testify to his 
skill in this work. Another gardener who has displayed 
No. 2034.—Yol. LNXVII., Old Series. 
