the COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 22, 1861. 
the top ends of Laurels render them not adapted for decoration : 
if therefore, something he wanted, a deciduous tree—as the 
sweet Chestnut, Beech, or something that way, may be used 
instead. 
The above remarks apply principally to large rooms or 
buildings; but it often happens that the ordinary rooms of a 
private mansion have to be decorated for some special purpose. 
Where the proportions of these are not more than 20 feet each 
way and of a moderate height, the mode of decoration must be 
different, and art and labour are brought more into bearing 
here. The large boughs of Laurel and other shrubs must be 
discarded for something smaller; and this also is to be com¬ 
pelled to take an artificial form, either in the shape of wreath, 
festoon, or scrollwork, festoon being in a general way the most 
appropriate. One of the best evergreens we have for this work 
is the Ivy—not the long rampant shoots which cling to a wall, 
but the short stubby tufts which project from some old-estab¬ 
lished plant that has not been disturbed for many years. Small 
twigs of this not more than ten inches long fastened to a dark- 
coloured string, and some little care taken to make it of a 
uniform thickness of about eight inches or so in diameter from 
outside to outside, and the leaves all pointing one way. Strings 
or ropes of this hang up with facility anywhere, and they may be 
made to stretch across a room by being hung to the lamp-hook, 
if there be no danger of their burning. No evergreen that I 
am acquainted with is so well adapted as the Ivy for this 
purpose, the under side of the leaf looking better than that of 
anything else of a like kind; and it is impossible, when the 
festoon has to be viewed on all sides, to always have outside 
leaves to look at. The glossy greenness of the outer side of 
its leaves is equalled only by that of the Portugal Laurel, 
which, however, sooner flags ; and, the under side of its foliage 
not looking so well, is not so well adapted for the purpose 
mentioned. The berries of the Ivy are also an attraction when 
they are good; and to make them more so we have occasionally 
dipped them in a mixture of plaster of Paris, which gives them 
a snowy whiteness and does not easily come off. When the 
quantity of such festooning wanted is very great (perhaps 
many hundred yards, as has been the case here sometimes), this 
colouring cannot always be done. The easiest way to make 
these festoons is to fasten the string at one end to a wall or 
post, and, the twigs being already dressed, to hitch them on 
the string that supports them, using no other tie. Short lengths 
of six feet or so can be tied together to follow round a room. 
A small nail in some recess or crevice of the cornice-moulding 
will be sufficient to hang these light things upon. The loops 
ought not to be less than five feet apart where Ivy is used, but 
smaller-leaved evergreens may be closer. Drops or pendant 
ropes may hang at the corners, by the sides of projections or 
doorways, or anywhere that may be wanted, taking care that the 
foliage in all such cases points downwards. 
Now, though Ivy festoons for the reasons given are the best 
when all sides are exposed to view, yet there are cases where 
something smaller would be better, and Box, Phillyrea, Yew, 
Cypress, and Juniper may be used; but, next to Ivy, Box is 
our favourite. This makes a much smaller festoon, and, con¬ 
sequently, is more used where space will hardly admit the other. 
The Irish Yew is useful for any very slender or tapering object 
when its rigidity and diminutiveness are wanted; and where 
slender pillars are to receive a spiral band, Cypress comes in 
handy when used alternately with something else. The taste of 
the decorator will, of course, easily perceive this. Pillars look 
well with such a coating, but if they are done so, the half-ones 
at the sides or commencement of the series ought to be done the 
same, even if the bands are obliged to be in short lengths and 
fastened at each end. Rosettes may be placed at regular intervals 
upon the festoons on the walls, a large one or a cluster or some¬ 
thing else in that way being placed where the festoon is looped up. 
Besides festoons, scrollwork is sometimes introduced. That 
must be formed on a wire foundation more or less strong, and 
bent into the proper shape and dressed, and many fanciful 
figures may be formed this way ; but it is better not to get into 
much intricacy. We have, however, often suspended an orna¬ 
mental piece of scrollwork from the centre of a room with good 
effect, or scrollwork may assume the character of brackets and 
project from the outer walls inwards, when the room is a very 
long one; but when it is square, or nearly so, this does not answer 
so well. 
The worst rooms to decorate with evergreens are the Oak- 
panelled ones. These ought to be done with drapery some way, 
and with an outer mixture of green. For instance: Take a 
quantity of white and pink calico, each a yard wide, and let them 
form a draped festoon, occasionally throwing the one colour over 
the other in carrying them round ; but let them be as loose and 
as spreading as possible. On the front of this draped festoon a 
slight one of the darkest evergreen may be put. A Quercus or 
Phillyrea being better than Yew—the latter shows the bundling 
too much. Possibly other dark-coloured rooms may require a 
similar treatment; but this will easily present itself to the 
operator. I have, however, occasionally ^adopted a less costly 
plan, by having a quantity of white calico about three inches 
wide go spiraly round the evergreen festoons, leaving quite as 
much to be seen as is covered. This gives a novel and not 
unpleasing effect, but the deception ought not to be too close to 
the observer. 
It may be asked, Why is not Holly more recommended ? Un¬ 
fortunately, I have never been able to make much of Holly. 
Stiff, heavy, and obstinate, it cannot be made to take such an 
easy, agreeable form as the other evergreens. Sometimes, how¬ 
ever, its berries may be worked into highly ornamental devices, or 
lettering done with them by their being fastened on by glue to a 
piece of oilcloth, or something that will take the place wanted to 
be filled. These purposes, however, are more generally the 
device and often the w'ork of the more junior members of the 
establishment, and when well done they receive their proper 
meed of praise, and often deserve it. Holly berries, therefore, 
form an important feature in the general effect when judiciously 
used, but boughs with berries on rarely can be made to look 
artistic; and, apart from their prieklyness, each bough only 
looks well in the position it has been grown in, and this being 
often reversed in other things, the Holly looks badly when it is 
subjected to such treatment. 
I need hardly say, that other evergreens may be used than 
those above enumerated, and sometimes other things as well. 
The old dead leaves of Beech and Oak (where they hang on the 
branches) make an interesting festoon as well, but must not be 
used with the other; and, for diversity, selected tops of Scotch 
Eir may be used, and even the common Laurel when it has to 
hang against a wall and only one side seen, care being taken to 
showonly the outsides of the leaves. Infact, allkinds of evergreens 
are available for festoons ; but those thickly clothed with leaves 
of rather a robust character are best, and when lettering of any 
kind is wanted on wirework, or the framework of a chandelier 
to dress, Irish Yew will be found as useful as anything, and, 
possibly, other things may suggest themselves to the decorator. 
I have not said anything of the lighting of such places, as this 
is expected to be already determined on ; but it is needless to say 
the lights ought to be numerous and of a plain description, they 
may also bo covered or ornamented as described. 
I cannot draw this subject to a close without inviting those 
who have had the duties of ornamenting public or private build¬ 
ings or rooms, to come forward and describe the means they 
adopted; for the subject though not, perhaps, of so much im¬ 
portance as some others, is, nevertheless, becoming more so than 
it w r as, and the leaders in a movement that has beauty and 
elegance for its object have more credit than the followers. Let 
those, therefore, who have anything different to describe than is 
here done, make the pages of The Cottage Gardener the 
means of making it known.—J. R. 
SHODDY AS A MANURE. 
Shoddy which is used as manure is a different article from 
shoddy wool which is imported from the Continent to Hull, and 
from thence is forwarded to the manufacturing districts of the 
West Riding of York, to be used in the manufacture of cloth, &c. 
Shoddy is the refuse dirt, grease, and wool, which passes 
through the machines used in the various processes of preparing 
wool for spinning. It is sold to farmers and others for agri¬ 
cultural and chemical uses. The price at the mills varies accord¬ 
ing to quality, from 5s. to 20s. per ton. Large quantities are 
sent into Kent to be used in the Hop plantations. Agricultural 
chemists use it in some of their manures dissolved by sulphuric 
acid. 
Some agriculturists who like a good manure mix it with bones 
and dissolve it by sulphuric acid, thereby obtaining a first-rate 
manure. In west Yorkshire, where it is easily obtained, it is 
used in large quantities for grass land. .Mixed with earth or other 
manures it is used for all kinds of crops. In this way its worst 
