v, 
VIS 
ft 
M 
de 44xx3ies" Stono! ftulknet xm3 3Pitl until 
nme ibouijitmioii. 
NEW YORK, AUGUST, 1875. 
CHURCH FLOWERS. 
I must confess with some shame that mine have 
undergone a sort of deterioration in these last years, 
and my flower beds show it very plainly to the initi¬ 
ated eye. If my seeds find a home in the genial hot¬ 
bed still, or are nursed into vitality by the kitchen fire, 
it is less on account of "their tender nature than be¬ 
cause I long for early blossoms. Long ago I gave up 
the charming Fenzlia, and that delightful but most 
exasperating Abronia, which is the first temptation in 
all the catalogues, with the rest of the coy beauties; 
and now my cry is for more Phlox, for plenty of 
Candytuft, for Zinnias and Petunias in quantity. Do 
you ask why ? 
Briefly, it is my business to provide the church bou¬ 
quets — not a lucrative office, and certainly no sinecure. 
Not that I was regularly appointed thereto; I work on 
the principle easily recognized by all “ society people,” 
that those who will work may. Nevertheless, I have 
heard too many words of appreciation from minister 
and people to call it a thankless task; and my humble 
service in adorning the sanctuary has taken on a 
sacredness all its own. The last gift to our new church, 
years ago, was a set of large vases, of the dark lava 
variety, and the most approved classical pattern. One 
stands on the table in front-of *the pulpit, one at each 
end of the platform, and one' on a bracket at the side 
of the organ. And I fill them, and (to come back to 
my first confession) grow flowers for that purpose. I 
have looked vainly through the Cabinet for the last 
two years in search of suggestions to aid me in this 
particular branch of floriculture; so I now proceed to 
make my own. 
I think I hear some inexperienced reader say, con¬ 
temptuously, “Why, any flowers will do!” Excuse 
me, you were never more mistaken. A costly green¬ 
house bouquet, with its close masses of color, becomes 
an indiscriminate muddle, seen across a church ; deli¬ 
cate sprays and spikes of blossom are as if they were 
not. Generally, the more pains you take (in this 
business) the less it shows ; yet time and thought and 
taste are imperative. In the first place, consider that 
your bouquet must be made to show from a distance; 
its colors must be distinct and not mingled, as in a 
smaller collection. As it will probably face but one 
way you will save material by making it flat rather 
than round; and, if you are wise, you will make it on 
a strong foundation, for a “ tottlish ” bouquet is an 
abomination, not to be atoned for by the greatest dis¬ 
play of color. A Gladiolus stalk, with its last flowers 
at the top, is as good a support a,s you can find, and 
has the merit of looking well if it chances to show. 
Two colors look better than more; and I find that the 
green and white bouquets, which are provided for 
funeral occasions and for the sacramental feast, are 
always most admired. Of course the large, coarse 
flowers answer our purpose better than the finer kinds. 
Geraniums are indeed superb, but you will seldom care 
to cut these, and Dahlias do very well instead, or .even 
Zinnias, though I greatly prefer the former, as richer 
in look and having a more accommodating stem. The 
little bouquet Dahlia is particularly pretty, and (by 
the way) a desirable pot plant. Among the reds I 
count the Cockscomb very effective, and the Amaran- 
thus caudatus is almost indispensable, its crimson tas¬ 
sels fringing the edges of the bouquet, and inviting the 
imagination to magnify its size. One can also use 
great quantities of Verbenas and Petunias and Nas¬ 
turtiums, though the brittle stems of the latter are 
against them. Only white (and plenty of it) should 
be placed with these shades of red. For this I know 
of nothing better than the double Fever-few (Pyre- 
thrum) and the perennial Phlox, or Rocket, which 
will blossom all the season if constantly cut. Petu¬ 
nias do very well, and are easy to raise. A flower 
garden seldom has enough of white in it, and mine has 
never had too much, even when I have gathered half 
a bushel of Candytuft at once. Yellows and blues are 
harder to find, though Cantei’bury Bell and Chrysan¬ 
themum are generally at hand ; but the green is the 
GET UP A CLUB FOR SIX MONTHS 
Sketch or Italian Garden. 
most unattainable. It must be reasonably stiff; it must 
not wilt easily; it must not cover the flowers too 
much (as Box does); it must be bright and graceful 
and easily raised. Who will supply me with this de¬ 
sideratum ? 
Mitchella Repens. 
The Handsomest of all Ladies’ Journals. 
Our subscribers have hundreds of friends who would take the 
Cabinet for six months, if it is only shown to them. To encourage 
all to make a special effort to extend our circulation, and thus help 
the purpose and success of the paper, we will take subscriptions as 
follows, to begin with the July number: 
For Six Months. 
Price 65 cents for 6 months, postage prepaid, but without chroma 
! « « U 
With choice also of either cliromo—Gems of “ The 
Flower Garden,” or, “My Window Garden.” 
“ 90 “ with both chromos. 
“ $3 00 for club of 5 without chromo. 
“ 6 00 “ “10 “ “ hut extra paper free. 
“ 3 50 “ “ 5 with 1 
“ 7 00 “ “10 “1 “ and extra copy paper free. 
Premiums for Clubs for Six Months. 
1. Ivory Paper Cutter and Folder, - club of 8 
2 . Book. Every Woman Her own Flower Gardener, - “5 
3. “ Window Gardening,. “15 
4. Box Initial Note Paper,.“5 
5. 1 Dozen Fine Gladiolus, worth $3 00, - “10 
6 . 100 “ “ “ 25 00, - - - - « 80 
7. 1 Fine named Bulb Gladiolus, worth $1 50 “5 
8 . Lovejoy Weather House, ------ “15 
9. Any Game in our Premium List, worth 5 ’ to 75 cents, 1 5 
10. Bracket and Fret Saw, worth $1 25, - - - “12 
11. The Acrobats, worth $1 15, - - - - - “10 
12. Box Decal com an ie, ------- “7 
13. Pocket Microscope, worth $1 50 - “10 
]4. Package Visiting Cards, - -- -- - “6 
15. Ivory Breast-Pin.., - “10 
10. Two Fancy Carved Napkin Kings, - “8 
17. Ladies’ Fancy Ivory Bracelet—pair, - - - - “12 
]S. Ivory Call Whistle,.- “5 
19. Emery Basket,.“5 
20- Mlk Book Mark, worth $1 00,. “10 
21. “ “ “ “ 50 to 75 cents, - “5 
22. Dress Elevator, ------- “5 
23. Blitter Knife,.“10 
24. Silk Fan,. “10 
25. Ladies’Pocket-knife and Scissors combined - - “10 
26. Any Game, 50 to 75 cents, in our Catalogue. - - “5 
27. 40 Packages of Flower Seeds, - “15 
iS. 20 “ - “ “. “8 
29. 10 “ “ «.“5 
80. Any Book, worth 50 to 60 cents, - “5 
81. “ “ $1 00 or under, - “10 
32. “ “ “ 1 50 “ - “ ]5 
83. Indelible Pencil, r .“5 
34. Pocket Knife, - -- -- -- - “10 
35. One Pair Florence Skates,.“12 
36. One Dollar’s worth of Plants,. “7 
37. One Volume of Floral Cabinet hound, 1874, - - “12 
3S. One Binder and Portfolio for Cabinet, - “12 
Special Premiums. 
39. One Goodrich Tucker for Sewing Machines price $3 00, for 
club of 10. 
40. One Johnston Huffier for Sewing Machines, price $3 00, for 
club of 15. 
41. One set Goodrich Ilemmer and Binder, price $1 50, club of 5. 
42. One set Metropolitan Hemmer and Binder, price $1 50. club 
of 5. 
43. One Bottle Payson’s Indelible Ink, price 75c,club of 7. 
PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 
Six Months Subscriptions.— With a little effort each sub¬ 
scriber can send us the name of some friend, or a club, for the rest of 
the year. We hope all will try. Prices have been fixed as low as 
possible. So beautiful a journal, on so costly paper, with so many 
expensive and charming illustrations, cannot be offered as low 
as other cheap papers, which are not worth keeping. The music 
alone for six months is worth $2 at least, and the paper, with 
chromos, $1 more—a total of f3 for only 70 cents. 
Plants for Sale. —We have several* lots of plants, seeds, &c., 
owing us by florists, which we will sell at 25 per cent, discount 
from usual catalogue prices. Any one wishing to buy may choose 
a list from any floral catalogue, deduct 25 per cent, from price, send 
the order to us and we will have good plants and seeds sent for the 
money. As soon as we have traded out these accounts our offer will 
he withdrawn. Persons not wishing to buy now, but next fall, 
may purchase from us an order now, at this discount, good for any 
time it may be presented. 
Household Elegancies. —We shall issue, Oct. 15, a new book, 
about the size of “ Window Gardening,” full of fancy work, home 
decorations, household art, and elegant ways of adorning a home, 
with so many exquisite illustrations, that every lady will he fairly 
crazy with delight when she sees it. We regard it as the most 
desirable ladies’ hook ever published, and it will be truly the grand 
Gift Booh of the season. Our readers know that anything we issue 
is so splendid in style and superior in merit, that, when we make an 
announcement, it is received with confidence and the most ready 
patronage. “ Household Elegancies” is the finest work we have yet 
originated, and as a special offer to any one who will obtain 35 sub¬ 
scribers to the Cabinet for six months, before August 1st, we will 
present a copy of this new hook free, as soon as issued. Price will be 
$1.50, and will be ready Oct. 15. 
