Ff.bruary 2(‘i. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION. 
891 
t 
vessel all round, the bottom of the stalks against 
the opposite side. This is all the secret. Ff the vessel 
was a flower pot shape you could not get tlie support at 
the bottoms of the stalks, and-, consequently, the bouquet 
could not bo made so large, and wet sand would not 
support such a weight; yet it is best to have the paint- 
pot-like vase full of damp sand; then, when you are ! 
forming the more perpendicular portion of the bouquet, ; 
the sand will hold the stalks easily enough. 
A clean paint-pot is just as good as a gold pot for 
these bouquets, because it must and ought to be entirely ; 
hid. You may learn to make such bouquets by using j 
common evergreens, without any flowers at all; and ' 
when you can form one quite round and raised to the i 
centre, just like a good Dahlia-bloom, you are fit to be 
trusted with flowers for the same purpose. 
The dessert was in two groups, as high as the bou¬ 
quets, and on similar stands, except that on the tops, 
instead of the basket, there was a cup, of a flower-pot 
form, to put the fruit in; and there was a tube through 
the centre of the flower-pot, to hold the stalk of a Pine¬ 
apple, with which each group was crowned. There were 
four bunches of grapes, two and two crossways, the 
stalks fastened inside the cup, and the bunches hanging 
down outside, leaving an open space between every two 
bunches. In one group these spaces were filled in with 
two apples, with an orange over them; the othei-s with 
two oranges, and an apple over them; and in each 
group there were four pears fastened, or, rather, fixed, 
over the shoulders of the bunches of grapes, the small 
end of each Pear down near to the Grapes, and the 
broad end up to near the bottom of the Pine apple, with 
the exception that moss was used, instead of green, 
healthy leaves, to embosom these groups, so to speak. 
It was a very handsome way of arranging the dessert, 
and well worthy to be copied. 
The wedding-cake was, in shape, like three cheeses one 
over the other; tlie lowest might be thirty inches across; 
the next a little loss in diameter; and the third less 
still, the outsides being wreathed witn flowers, rosettes, 
and leaves, very tastefully. Over these cake-terraces was 
erected a dome-covered temple, resting on eight pillars. 
The workmanship of the whole was exceedingly beauti¬ 
ful ; but, with due deference to Mr. Gunter’s taste, the 
design was faulty, to say the least of it,—a pagan temple 
over a wedding-cake, in these days, was out of place 
certainly. Who will supply the more appropriate em¬ 
blem? Several have been suggested to me, with a 
request to publish these notes. 
D. Beaton. 
PLANTS THAT MAY BE IN BLOOM IN 
FEBRUARY. 
If our readers will turn to the list given at page 292i 
it will alike save space and a mere repetition. Of these, 
most likely, the Bilbergias will be over, and will require 
a short rest before growing them by means of applying 
more heat and moisture. Cypripediiim insigne will also, 
in most cases, bo finished. The Bpiphyllimts will also 
require to he cleared of all their dead blooms, cleaned, 
and set in the sunniest place possible. Justicia speciosa, 
eaniea, formosa, &c., will require cutting back to the 
lowest buds when done flowering, or the old plants may 
be thrown away when cuttings are striking. Spermn- 
] dictyon azureum should also be pruned well back as 
I soon as the flowers are gone. Bulbs, Cinerarias, &c., 
: will want changing; and flowering Perpetual Carnations, 
Camellias, Chinese Primroses, &c., will be benefited by 
manure-waterings. With these exceptions alluded to, 
the following may be added to the list;—• 
STOVE PLANTS, 
Achimenes picta ; Begonia auriculiformis, nitida, and 
Ingramii; Olivia nobilis; Conoclinium lanthemnm; 
Cypripedium venustum; Dendrobium speciosum; Good- 
j’^era discolor; Gesnera elongata; Franciscea calycina; 
Himantophyllum, or Tmatopbyllum miniatura; Rogeria 
cordata; Senningea floribunda; Rhyncospermum jas¬ 
min oides. 
GREENHOUSE PLANTS, 
Add, Acacia urcinata, floribunda, grandis, Drum- 
mondii ; Azaleas, white, exquisita, Perryana, trium- 
phans, and other good kinds, forced ; Brachysema 
latifolium, undulatum, villosum ; Boronia pinnata. 
Cytisus filipes; Epacris impressa, and varieties, in¬ 
cluding some twenty or thirty kinds ; Erica transparens, 
rubra calyx, vernalis ; Gnidia imberbis ; Hovea purpu¬ 
rea ; Pimelia decussata ; Selago distans; Salvia gesne- 
rseflora. Of some of these I will now write a few 
hasty notes. 
AcimrENES ptcta.—T hough this can be bad in 
, bloom at any time, its beautiful foliage is so easily 
injured by the smallest quantity of steam, or the strong 
sunlight, that it generally appears to most advantage in 
the early spring and the late autumn months. Tubers 
started in the autumn will be coming beaixtifully into 
bloom now. They require, in other respects, to be 
treated like Achimenes in general, the treatment of 
I which was lately given. 
I Cr.TviA NOBii.is.—Though I have placed this plant in 
the stove, it will keep much longer in a warm green- 
j house, and merely wants extra heat to encourage 
growth shortly after it has finished blooming. It is 
rather a rough-looking plant, with its strong, sedgy 
leaves, when not in bloom; but the strong flower-stalks, 
and the bunch of nodding, red and yellow flower hells 
at the top, are interesting and singular, if not beautiful. 
It thrives best in fibry loam. 
CoNocLTNiuJi Iantiiemum produces large corymbs of 
blue flowers, sometbing in the way of an Ageratum; but 
the stems are more woody, and the leaves quite as large. 
Easily propagated by cuttings. The plant should be 
freely pruned when done flowering. It grows in loam 
and peat freely, and requires stove-treatment only in the 
winter and early spring months. 
Cypripedium venustum requires much the same treat¬ 
ment as insigne; but needs more attention to drainage, 
and ricber soil. Frequent surfacings of old cow-dung 
and rich leaf-mould secure healthy foliage and strong 
flower-stalks. 
Dendrobium speciosuji. —I mention this here for 
two purposes. First, to endorse what Mr. Appleby said 
lately of its hardiness, as I have twice flowered it very 
I satisfactorily in a cool house; and to mention that there 
is a fine sjiecimen of it shewing bloom, that promises to 
come very strong, at Mr. Veitch’s Exotic Nursery, at 
Chelsea. I know many who have discarded this old 
plant as worthless; but I shall be greatly mistaken, if, 
' when that plant is seen in its full beauty, it does not 
’ produce a demand for it again, even by those who had 
denied it the privilege of standing room. If this plant 
requires a higher temperature than a warmish green¬ 
house at any time, it is for short periods after it has done 
flowering, and when coming into flower. A fair amount 
j of water in summer, and next to none during winter, in 
' unison with a temperature ranging from 4.5° to 50° in 
winter, are the essentials of success. Suppose a beginner 
has a nice little plant sent to him; lot him choose a 
, suitable-sized pot, and fill it more than half-full with 
: drainage; choose a small block of old oak-wood that 
] will go across the pot inside, and sunk half-au-inch from 
i its rim. To this piece of W'ood fasten the plant, and 
! pack all round, so as to leave a little mound above the 
’ pot, with rich, fibry peat in pieces, along with chopped 
1 sphagnum and pieces of charcoal. 
I Goodyera discolor.— A low-growing ground Orchid 
