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THE AQUATIC BOUQUET. 
This recent novelty is an exceedingly pretty and 
popular elegancy, which is specially adapted to 
table decoration, though it is perhaps equally beauti¬ 
ful for the parlor, and for the sick-room or bed¬ 
chamber is very appropriate, inasmuch as, being cov¬ 
ered, no odor can escape and render the air of the 
room unhealthful. Now, any one who imagines that 
this exquisite floral arrangement is simply what it 
appears in our illustration, a collection of flowers, 
leaves, and grasses gracefully grouped under a glass 
shade, will be wonder-struck upon seeing one for the 
first time; for instead of this they will see a col¬ 
lection of almost ethereal-looking blossoms, so white 
and frosty, and altogether fairy-like in appearance, 
and growing apparently beneath the waters of a 
miniature crystal lake—that is, held suspended by 
some hidden hand; producing an effect so sin¬ 
gular and wonderfully charming that it appears 
like some fairy-work. 
But to explain this lovely and wonderful-look¬ 
ing bouquet: It consists of flowers, leaves, buds, 
grasses, moss, or any beauty of the floral world 
immersed in water ; held beneath a glass shade, 
which it fills by the power of atmospheric pres¬ 
sure, or that scientific problem that two bodies 
cannot occupy the same place at the same time ; 
and the air being expelled from the shade, the 
water rushes into and completely fills it; the 
atmospheric pressure upon the top keeping it 
constantly in its place. The peculiarly spark¬ 
ling and frost-like appearance is caused by the 
water surrounding the flowers : vegetable pro- 
. Auctions always assuming such peculiar beauty 
under these circumstances, caused by the re¬ 
fraction of the light and the magnifying power 
of the globe of water ; the glass in this form and 
the water combined producing the illusive and 
fairy like effects. Glass shades of any size, such 
as are used to cover wax-flowers, clocks, etc., 
and the aquarium-globes, are the best covers for 
these bouquets; but for small pieces crystal 
finger-glasses, bell-glasses, clear-glass gas-globes, 
or indeed any article of plain glass will answer the 
purpose, though the shades and globes of which we 
have spoken are far superior. 
In addition to the shade a deep plate or dish is 
required, that will fit beneath the shade, the base 
resting in the bowl of the dish, which should be two 
or three inches deep; soup-plates or a fruit-dish 
with a broad rim will answer well, and this may be 
very ornamental, if desired ; some persons use silver 
dishes, others elegant French china beautifully 
painted; but we prefer a rustic bowl, such as are 
used for fern cases, or a plain white soup-plate, with 
rock, shells, coral, moss, etc., arranged on the rim, 
against the shade. 
In the centre of this dish or bowl the flowers, 
leaves, moss, and sprays are placed, first tying them 
to a piece of stone to prevent their rising up to the 
top of the shade; and care must be taken that no 
leaves or fragments of any kind are left unfastened, 
as they will float off into the water and spoil the 
effect. 
In arranging the various flowers taste and skill 
must be exercised in order so to place each one that, 
by contrast and pleasing combinations, the most 
artistic and satisfactory results may be obtained; 
and the stone holding the bouquet in place must be 
wholly concealed, as also the stems of the flowers, 
and the entire pyramid of flowers must appear to 
rise from a bed of moss with tiny tufts of ferns 
around it. The manner of tying the stems to the 
stone is shown in the engraving below. 
After tying them thus take some natural green 
moss, if possible, with little tufts of wild-wood plants 
here and there among it; wash it perfectly clean, 
separating all the parts and brushing out any pieces 
of dirt or soil from the roots; then with green thread, 
passed down through the leaves, tie it in small 
pieces around the stone, arranging small fern-fronds, 
pretty leaves, etc., among the pieces. This part of 
the arrangement requires great care and taste,, for 
Aquatic Bouquet. 
the whole mass of verdure must appear to be growing 
naturally beneath the water. 
This arrangement all completed, a tub full of 
clear water must be provided, sufficiently large and 
deep to admit of the dish, shade, etc., being plunged 
into it. In the bottom of this vessel place the dish 
with the bouquet all arranged on the bottom, fixing 
all the parts that may have become disarranged, and 
so make such slight alterations as will suggest 
themselves by the effect when seen through the 
water; and care must be taken that nothing projects 
so far towards the shade as to touch its sides or 
top. 
Having all arranged in a satisfactory manner, take 
the glass shade and turn it on the water sidewise, 
so as to leave no air within it ; press it on down 
until filled with water and the entire shade is under 
the water, then turn it over carefully on the plate 
or dish, when it will remain filled with water; for, 
as there was a vacuum within the shade filled with 
water, it will remain there so long as the shade is 
kept firmly upon the plate; but should any substance 
become inserted beneath the base of the shade and 
the surface of the dish, the air will be admitted and 
the water will at once rush out. 
The shade thus fixed in position upon the plate, 
the whole may be lifted from the tub, leaving the 
water that is around the shade between it and the 
sides of the dish undisturbed, as this will have a ten¬ 
dency to keep it perfectly air-tight; and should it 
dry out by evaporation, it might better be at once re¬ 
filled. Around this rim of the plate place pretty 
fragments of rock with Tradescantia aquatica, and 
ferns, mosses, etc., tastefully arranged. 
The magnifying powers of the circular shade are 
so powerful that it will be a matter of surprise how 
small a number of flowers, etc., it requires to form 
an aquatic bouquet, a small selection appearing to 
fill the entire case. 
In selecting flowers use those of small dimen¬ 
sions and rather common habit, the Abronia, 
Verbena, Sweet William, Scarlet Lichen, and 
others of like form appearing the best. For foli¬ 
age, the leaves of the Coleus, Acliyranthus, varie¬ 
gated Geraniums, will present a charming ap¬ 
pearance, and should be placed around the stone 
and stems at the bottom. In winter, the leaves 
of evergreens appear well; the leaves and scarlet 
berries of the Holly, Partridge Vine, etc., pre¬ 
sent a charming appearance. 
The beauty of the water bouquet is not at 
its height on the first day of its formation ; but 
on the second day when hundreds of minute 
air-bubbles settle on every leaf, flower, and 
tiny frond or spear of grass, coating them with 
starlike incrustations of gems, and edgings of 
minute sparkling diamonds; they impart a 
brilliant, frosty appearance, like some fairy- 
work. 
Always, if possible, form these bouquets 
the day previous to using them, in order to 
have them thus covered with this frost-work. 
As a dinner-table arrangement, a large one 
should be raised upon a platform of some kind, 
covered with moss, around which may be 
placed several smaller ones made under finger- 
glasses or other small vessels. We have seen a 
pyramid of these, formed with four tiers of glasses, 
the central one a large shade, about eighteen 
inches high and twelve inches in diameter, around 
which were four fish-globes of the one-dollar size, 
below which was a circle of finger-glasses—eight 
of them—and around these a circle of beautiful 
cut-glass tumblers, perfectly plain glass. Each dish 
—they were all of glass—was covered on the rim 
with green moss, with shells, stones, and trailing 
vines. It was constructed during the day previous, 
and by six o’clock the following evening pre¬ 
sented the exquisite frosty appearance we have 
described. 
To say it was greatly admired bj^ all who sur¬ 
rounded the large table it graced is to speak 
tamely, tor it called forth enthusiastic admira¬ 
tion. A more chaste and altogether charming mode 
of ornamenting a handsome table cannot be con¬ 
ceived. 
