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ome Ssompeuiion. 
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY, 1874. 
DESIGN FOR A FLOWER TABLE. 
As an appropriate accompaniment to the subject of 
home decorations in winter, we introduce this charm¬ 
ing design of a new flower table. It needs very little 
explanation. In all our large cities there are wire 
makers who manufacture flower stands, hanging 
baskets, and other simple objects for household use 
and ornament. This stand may be entirely circular, 
or in the form of a semi-circle, in which case it null fit 
easily into the alcove of any window, and the circular 
portion will project out into the room ; or if 
the window should be circular like that of a 
bay window, and project out from the build¬ 
ing, then this table will easily fill the space, 
and gain the benefit of an abundance of light 
and the benefit of the sun’s rays. It may 
be constructed entirely of wire, or the lower 
part may be made of wood and the upper 
part of wire, with a tin or zinc pan for hold-, 
ing the earth. Soil may be used for growing 
the flowers, or still better, wood mold from 
forests. Moss also can be used appropriately 
and kept constantly moist. Sand also, if 
convenient, can be used for such flowers as 
thrive best in it. Care must be taken to 
allow some means of drainage, to remove the 
surplus water. The size of the table is 
about four to five feet in diameter, and 
stands about two and a half feet from the 
floor, the upper railing not being over three 
feet high. It can be adapted in winter and 
early spring to Tulips, Hyacinths, and other bulbs, and 
in later spring and summer to plants of ornate foliage. 
The design is really elegant, and will be found a most 
graceful ornament for floral decoration. 
does not crowd everything into a bundle, but chooses 
and culls most carefully. The general principles of 
color being understood, one deals with something more 
difficult than worsteds, in combining blossoms of such 
various shapes and textures. I have been watching 
Irene all this season, and can tell what she has done 
with flowers both wild and cultivated, limited space 
forbidding more than the bare results. 
A basket of spring flowers—Spring Beauty, Liver¬ 
wort, and Violets—were braided together, and coiled 
in plates and saucers; Dicentras were put in small, 
white vases, with their own foliage. Azaleas she 
never spoiled by neighbors, but always kept them in 
opaque, white vases. Blue Violets edging a centre of 
Bishop’s Cap, and fringed by Maiden’s Hair Fern, 
formed a most, charming bouquet. Hyacinths fur¬ 
nished many a lovely vase; and one especially pleas¬ 
ing group had a centre of white, single Hyacinths, a 
cloud of sweet double Violets—the darkest grown— 
then another row of alternate white Hyacinths and 
pale pink ones, then the edge of Violet leaves. An¬ 
other pretty hand bouquet had Lilies of the Valley in 
the middle, a wide row of blue Violets, and another of 
mingled blue and white Forget-me-nots, edged with 
Lily leaves. She used white frequently for a ground¬ 
work, and then wrought in a pattern with strong-hued 
flowers, especially when the greatest effect was to be 
produced with the fewest flowers. On a ground of 
white Candytuft, I have seen Coreopsis, dark Nastur¬ 
tiums, dark Phlox, Defiance Verbena, and lovely 
wreaths of double Portulacca. 
I notice she does not confuse foliage any more than 
flowers. Her favorite greens are Geranium leaves, 
leaves of that exquisite plant—Tagetes Signata 
Pumila—sprays of Maurandya, Ferns, Lycopodiums, 
Peony and Carrot leaves. Another very pretty bou¬ 
tying them. She makes raids upon the china-closet 
on grand occasions, and builds amazing structures. 
Once, with a large wash-dish, a hanging-basket in¬ 
verted, a soup-plate, and a celery-glass, she made 
magnificent a deep window, using for flowers only 
Snowballs and Peonies. I look now at two beautiful 
arrangements. The concealed foundation of each is 
an oval preserve-dish and a low, broad bowl; one 
holds pink and red Asters, shaded to white, with 
Marigold leaves; the other has purple and blue Asters, 
with a few blue and white Larkspurs in the middle. 
She is complete mistress of the art of stemming, 
wiring, gluing, etc.; knows just how her darlings 
ought to bo treated to insure their longest possible 
beauty. I believe she lays great stress upon ammo¬ 
nia and charcoal in the water: and I notice that any¬ 
thing especially dainty usually slips into her wardian 
case to spend the night; and Pelargoniums have a 
habit of never quitting its friendly warmth and moist¬ 
ure save on special occasions. And her wreaths, if 
not used at once, are apt to lie on a large platter with 
a thin piece' of wet muslin laid over, without touch¬ 
ing them. But I cannot make you understand half 
the charms her deft fingers weave. Is it because she 
has studied her flowers so long and loves them so well 
that they whisper to her their affinities, do you think ? 
Dore Hamilton. 
ARRANGING CUT FLOWERS. 
Bouquet makers, like poets, are born, not made. 
Irene makes bouquets, and was bom, I think, for that 
express purpose, so nicely do her flowers harmonize 
and contrast. Her flower groups are distinctive; she 
Design foe a Flower Table. 
quet had a mass of scarlet Geraniums, surrounded by 
the pure white flowers of the perennial Phlox; from 
the border of fragrant Geranium leaves, rose, on two 
opposite sides, long sprays of Ambrosia, or Jerusalem 
Oak, which met, and were twined together so that the 
bouquet looked like a little basket of flowers with a 
live, green handle. The happy recipient of this 
“basket” attracted all flower-lovers who saw her 
pretty travelling companion. 
I think Irene likes best to arrange flowers without 
PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
Keep Adding to Clubs. —Club agents will please keep add- 
ing to clubs, and not relax their efforts. Many who had not the 
money to spare now may get it before the spring is over; do not lose 
sight of them. Times may grow better in a few months, and then 
each club agent may be able to double his club. 
Original. —Our paper is almost entirely original this month. 
Thanks to our correspondents who have sent in their bits of knowl 
edge so freely. 
Chromo.— Every one ought to have our new chromo, 44 Gems of 
the Flower Garden. 11 Those who took the paper without it are miss¬ 
ing the best of the whole. Send 25 cents and get it now while we 
have yet a good supply. To any who wish to get up clubs without 
chromos, we will temporarily take subscriptions at these prices: 
Single copies, $1.10 each. 
Club of 5, $5.00, and extra copy of chromo to agent. 
41 10.10.00, 44 “ paper and chromo to agent for 50c. 
15, 15.00, “ “ ' 14 44 “ free. 
Contributions. —We are glad to get any notes or 
letters giving experience on any household topics. Our 
‘‘Ladies 1 Work-Box 11 we want always filled with these 
bits of experience. Make the note short, we cannot use 
long letters. Be patient in expecting answers to ques¬ 
tions, we have many hundreds to answer. 
Music. —The Cabinet contains every month a piece 
of new music, worth, to purchase separately, from 35 to 
50 cents. In the course of a year, twelve such pieces 
would cost from $4 to $5. All this, with all the rest of 
the good things of the paper, making 200 pages every 
year, for only $1.25. Is not the Cabinet the cheapest 
paper published ? 
New Premium List. —Subscribers will please pre¬ 
serve our new 4 page Premium List, which we issued as 
a supplement to January No. It contains notices of 
many hooks, games and amusements, really valuable and 
worth having. We will send any of them on receipt of 
price. It is worth keeping for reference. 
Photograph, of Editor.— A lady writes, saying 
she would value a photograph of the editor more than 
any premium on our list. Well we are not ambitious 
for distinction for looks, but if any one is curious, and 
would value it, and will bring a new subscriber, it would 
be an inducement to us to send it, which we will think 
seriously over. 
Green Houses. —A specimen copy of Horticulturist will be sent 
free to any person who has a greenhouse or conservatory. We wish 
the address of all such persons in the United States. T{ie Horticul¬ 
turist is more especially devoted to plants grown under glass, also to 
gardening, than the Cabinet We have not enough free copies to 
give to any others than this class, which we are quite anxious to get 
interested in it. 
The Address of P. D. Barnhart, who made offers of Canna seeds 
to subscribers of the Cabinet last fall is at Kittanning, Pa. We do 
not understand where the printer got Montana Territory. 
Registered Letters. —The fee on registered letters is now re¬ 
duced to Sc., or including postage, 11c. This is the cheapest possible 
inode of sending bills and currency. A money order, however, costs 
but 5 cents for small amounts. 
Back Volumes.—New subscribers will find a vast amount of 
useful matter in our back volumes. We can supply sets as far back 
as July, 1872, for $1.50, or for the year 187J for only $1.00. 
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