December 11. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
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NOTES FROM PARIS. 
M. CoURTURiER, fruit-dealer on the Iloulevards des Italiens, 
is at present exhibiting a large and really beautiful centre¬ 
piece, composed chietly of choice fruits and twigs of orna¬ 
mental evergreens. The “ jiieoo ” has the general form of 
a basket of llowers, such as wo freijnently see in paintings, 
that is to say, open, and spreading all round, the twigs of 
holly, boxwood, and such similar slirubs as have the run at 
this season, are tastefully distributed, so that the various hues 
and forms are evenly balanced. Then the whole is somewhat 
freely interspersed with Apples, Pears, Figs, Pomegranates, 
and Grapes. The Grapes, of course, are suspended from 
the sides of the baskets, and very beautiful fruit they are ; 
but the oilier sorts of fruit are held at the general surface 
of wliat may be called the bouquet, by a now process just 
introduced, as it would ajipear, by M. Courturier. The 
process, 1 may venture to say, is such as any person can 
easily imitate. The fruit are simply suspended, or rather 
atucti, on wires, projecting outwards regularly all round, a 
tincly-grown British Queen. Pine-apple being stuck on the 
top. This arrangement is singularly effective, and especi¬ 
ally suited for Christmas parties and marriage feasts. There 
is almost a total absence of llowers; and, 1 think, this is a 
point of some importance in any device of the kind where 
the object is to show the fruit to the greatest advantage. 
It will not be necessary for me to enter minutely into the 
other details of construction ; for, no doubt, those who feel 
inclined to make up a. fruit bouquet, if I may be allowed the 
expression, for the coming season of rejoicing, will require 
no more than the hint now given. 
I may add, in the same way, that one of the latest 
novelties in saloon decorations is covering the shade of 
lamijs with flowers, either in circles or otherwise. The 
llowers used in this way are, it is true, only artificial, at least, 
so far as 1 have seen ; but that is no reason why natural 
ones should not also be employed. It has long been the 
fashion here to have the flowers painted on the shades; but 
the artificial flowers, neatly arranged all round, are much 
more effective, and there can be no doubt that both these 
forms of ornamenting lamp-shades must give place to real 
Camellias, Roses, and Pansies, especially on “grand occa¬ 
sions.” But it is not enough to have the flowers on the 
shade; graceful, slender twigs may also be made to hang 
from the margin, and some of the more ornamental grasses 
may rise at the top, so as to form an irregular circle round 
the grass. I may also add, that the shade, in every case, 
should be. made large and strong, being, in fact, more a 
framework than a shade, such as is commonly seen. But I 
do not see why we should confine our labours to the mere 
decoration of the shade; I would go a little further, and 
have a bank of flowers and evergreens on which to place 
the lamp, or even to imbed it, so as to cover the under 
part; and thus, while ornamenting it, adding lustre by 
throwing the light over a sloping carpet of ricli, or, at least, 
fresh, colours. One of the most beautiful and effective 
designs I have seen in this way, consists of a statue repre¬ 
senting a child, of the Cupid family, bearing a basket of 
real flowers on his head, and from the centre of the flowers 
a large campanulate blossom, in crystal, forms the protect¬ 
ing glass of the light. The arrangement of the flowers is 
natural and easy, some of the scandent sort falling grace¬ 
fully from the sides of the basket, as if partially intended to 
veil the faithful delineation of Nature underneath. 
Tlie Christmas festivities are at hand, and oir such occa¬ 
sions people try to make something of a display. Now, a 
pomological liouquet, and a floricultural lamp (where a 
lamp is used), are just the sort of things which one can 
relish and ailmire, and of which the preparation may be 
most fairly undertaken by ladies. But neither the lamp 
nor the bompiet is suitable for a dining-table, such, at least, 
as dining-tables generally arc, where there is scarcely room 
for the more legitimate objects, and many a happy circle of | 
friends sit round the same table from the beginning to the 
end. In this case, it would be advisible to use a light during 
dinner, and, after the removal of the cloth, to make a little 
ceremony of bringing in the lamp and the bouquet, the one 
borne by the young ladies, and the other by the young 
gentlemen; and if it were wanted to impart an additional 
interest to this part of the feast, the procession might walk 
' slowly round the room once or twice, singing, the National 
I Anthem, all the rest of the company standing up. But I 
merely venture to throw out the hint, and shall leave to 
others the task of carrying out the details. . ■ . 
While thus iioticing the decoration of the festive board,^ 
I am reminded, by a note lying before me, that this is a 
fruitful subject, and that I must continue it a little further, 
in order to notice the fruits qiaces of the French confectioners, 
who really show wonderful skill and taste in the preparation 
! of a dessert. The fruits filaces are certain small sorts of 
; fruit, prepared in dissolved sugar ( boiled, I suppose), which, 
; besides sweetening the whole body of the fruit, forms a firm 
‘ coating over it so as to preserve it for a considerable length 
of time. The following are the sorts usually preserved in 
this way:— Chinois vert (green Chinese), a small variety of 
Orange, of which there is here a great consumption, for it is 
! also preserved in liqueurs. Prepared in sugar, it sells at 
' about two francs six sous a pound (nearly 2s.). Noix de 
Beriqord, verts (green AValnuts), two francs four sous a pound. 
Xoix de 1‘eriqord, blonds (ripe Walnuts without the shell), 
two francs four sous. Poires Bousselee, a small variety of 
’ Pear, like the Seckel, without the skin, two francs four sous. 
Aniandes vei-ts (green Almonds), two francs four sous. 
Cerises, a small variety of Cherry, two francs four sous. 
Prunes mirabelles, a pretty yellow Plum, in great plenty 
; during the summer and autumn ; it is but littl(‘ larger than 
a marble; two francs four sous. Prunes Reine Claude {itieina. 
. Claude Plums), a variety in general estimation for dessert, 
j either preserved or plain, two francs four sous. Abricots 
, d’Auvergne. All these fruits are preserved entire; but the 
; last is also sometimes cut into thin slices; two francs four 
sous a pound. Some varieties of Apples are also prepared 
' in this manner. I have even seen Melons of six and eight 
^ inches in diameter; and passing directly to the vegetable de- 
j partment, we find tlie stalks of Angelica commoner than any- 
I thing else. Fancy boxes, containing a mixture of all the 
I varieties, may be had at i^rices varying between one and ten 
I francs. Of plain fruits, the principal are the Prunes Impe- 
riules d'Ageu, one franc four sous a pound; Snigrna Figs, one 
franc six sous; Figues de Naples, a small, round sort, six 
sous (dd.) ; Figues de j\Iarseilles, not (juite so large as the 
Smyrna variety, but equal in quality, selling at one franc 
four sous a iround; Prunes d'Agen, one franc; Almnnde la 
Princesse, one franc ; Dates muscades, one franc four sous ; 
Pistolles d’Afrique, one franc six sous; Pomegranates, from 
six to twelve sous a piece; the larger sorts, measuring about 
five inches in diameter, and in good condition, are from 
sixteen to twenty sous a piece (Hd. to lOd.). 
The weather has been really dismal for some time, and 
now we have have had one or two sharp touches of frost, 
with rather a cutting north wind, which has, however, dis¬ 
pelled tlie fogs, and given us sunlight and moonlight again, 
together with tlie inestimable comfort of dry roads. But, on 
the whole, everything begins to look like winter, though a 
good many of the trees are still furnished with leaves, such 
as they are. 
Flowers, in the open ground or borders, are now almost 
out of the question; still, autumn Roses and Chrysanthe¬ 
mums hold on wonderfully well in the more sheltered situa¬ 
tions. 'There is, however, a good supply of flowers and 
ornamental shrubs in the markets and shops, as Roses, 
ATolets, Heatlis, Primulas, Chrysanthemums, A’'erbenas, 
Cacti, Everlastings, Camellias, Van Thol Tulips, Cinerarias, 
Oranges in fruit, Myrtles, Magnolias, Aucubas, and Lilac, 
the last almost white with forcing. A few Acacias are also 
to be seen here and there; but the pretty winter flowering 
slirub, Viburnun tinus, is not very common, and Rhodo¬ 
dendrons are but scarce. Indeed, with the exception of 
some few tiny Azaleas, American plants, as we understand 
them, are by no means plentiful here at any time. There 
were only a few straggling bushes in the Horticultural 
Exliibition; though it is but fair to observe, that among the 
house-plants rvere one or two good varieties of Rhododen 
dron. The most common shrub for giving effect on a large 
scale here is the Lilac, which, however, does not last long 
in flower. 
The only novelty to be noticed in respect to bouquets is a 
branch of an Orange-tree, with one or two oranges in the 
centre, surrounded by a broad line of Neapolitan Violets, 
the orange, or oranges, are slightly raised. Magnolia 
