DESCRIPTION OP TABLE DESIGN. 
I had long; wished that I could afford to have one of 
the beautiful glass stands which are made expressly 
for flowers, but finding that wishing didn’t do any 
good, I set my wits to work to contrive something. 
Amongst other things, I thought one of our bronze 
candlesticks might possibly be made to do duty, and 
it seems that my husband had been thinking the same 
thing, for, one day he brought one of the candlesticks 
to me, saying: 
“ Here’s the very thing you want for your table de¬ 
sign ; you can use it 1 am sure.” 
A Table Design. 
So I decided to try it. At the end of each of the 
three branches there is a lily-shaped cup for holding a 
candle. The standard from which the branches spring 
supports another cup. Those on the ends of the 
branches I unscrewed and hung in their places baskets 
made of sauce plates filled with moss. I had to make 
a netting of fine wire over the plate and moss, in order 
to suspend it. I found that the top of a “March 
Stand ” could be fitted to the central cup. Into this I 
fastened with wire a glass trumpet vase ; then by fill¬ 
ing in moss, I formed a sort of ball at the foot of the 
vase. 
The next thing to be done was to fix the bottom. 
To do this I had a shallow tin pan made, then putting 
the candlesticks into it. bound pan and candlestick 
firmly together by means of strong annealed wire. I 
should say here that I bad holes punched—two inches 
apart—around the edge of the pan in order to let the 
vines through. The pan was then filled with moss, 
nearly covering the base of the candlestick. My stand 
was now ready for the flowers. 
I have made no attempt to represent in my sketch 
the flowers that I used in filling my stand, but I will 
give a list of those used in the different parts. 
FLOWERS USED IN VASE AT TOP. 
Pink and white Asters, medium sized, and small; 
buff and pink rosebuds; Polygonum maritimum (a 
lovely little wild flower, found on the marshes in Sep¬ 
tember), wild ferns and leaves of carrot. 
AT THE FOOT OF THE VASE. 
Tuberoses, Carnations, Asters, pink and white, rose¬ 
buds, Phlox Drummondii, in shades of pink and crim¬ 
son, Polygonum maritimum, Lygodium scandens and 
wild ferns. 
BRANCHES. 
Buff rosebuds, blue Browallia, white Phlox Drum¬ 
mondii, white Eupatorium, fragrant Myrtle and ferns. 
Edging of leaves, and scarlet berries of Rivina humilis. 
BASE. 
Rosebuds, pink and buff, Asters, pink and white, 
Phlox Drummondii, in white and shades of crimson 
and pink, white Carnations, pink Gloxinias, Polygo¬ 
num maritimum, Sweet Alyssum and Viscaria. Edg¬ 
ing of wild ferns, (Aspidium Spinulosum, a variety 
which, besides being very beautiful, keeps well), and 
sprays of Selaginella Wildenovii. 
If I had had a greenhouse at my command, I should 
have made a different arrangement of flowers; as it 
was, I had to depend on my own garden for all my 
flow-ers excepting rosebuds. M. P. G. 
DESCRIPTION OP FLOWER-STAND. 
This is a circular revolving stand, finished with bark 
and placed upon feet of black walnut. In the centre, 
which is somewhat raised, stands a cast of the “Fisher 
Boy,” and near his right arm rises a tall Abutilon, the 
top of which is more than eight feet from the floor. 
There are four Ivies twdning around the statue, the gold¬ 
en, silver edged, palmata, and paniculata. A very fine 
Aspedistra, a variegated Hydrangea,Aucuba Japonica, 
Ophiopogon, and Tradescantia Discolor occupy ap¬ 
propriate places, and among them all the lowly ferns 
in graceful profusion and variety. A remarkably large 
and free-growing Hypolepis repens throws up its tall 
fronds, rivalling the “Fisher Boy” in height, Asple- 
nium viviporum, Adiantum cuneatum, Pteris Tremula, 
and falcata, tape fern, and the charming Maiden-hair. 
Near the edge are placed two rows of Tradescantia, 
the green and white striped, and crimson-shaded Ze- 
brina. Outside of all the green Tradescantia, which 
A Flower-Stand. 
is now quite profuse, and in the spring will be a mass 
of foliage reaching to the floor. The diameter, in¬ 
cluding foliage, is about four feet. 
Mrs. Clara R. Sweetzer. 
The best soil for house plants is two-fifths of new' 
loam, one-fifth of leaf mould, one-fifth of well decayed 
and decomposed manure, and one-fifth of sharp and 
clean sand. 
Hare’s foot fern is one of the prettiest of the Fern 
family. The fronds are tall and weaving—a singular 
hairy foot-shaped piece grows out from its roots. 
Bv Henry T. Williams. 
NEW YORK, MAY, 1878. 
No. 77. Price 12 Cents. 
