6 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
and there Palms, and Smilax drapery, the top being 
hood-shaped, heavily draped on the inside with Ivy. 
Suspended sideways at the entrance were three floral 
bells, the larger being 16x12 inches, the others smaller. 
This piece was rather attractive, but not striking. The 
most out-of-place thing in it was the precise straight 
drapery of Smilax, against the very rustic, rough-look¬ 
ing cork bark. 
In the classes, single pieces for table or funeral designs, 
the competition was strong and spirited. For dinner- 
table design, John Finn carried off the first premium, 
$50, for a piece which, as far as material was concerned, 
was very good. A Pandanus Yeitchii occupied the 
centre of a circle about three feet across, raised mound¬ 
like above the level, composed of choice Ferns and 
groups of fruit; the whole being too clumsy and heavy 
for a pleasing effect. A very serious objection to this 
also, was the manner in which the fruit was treated. 
Oranges and Apples had small stakes thrust into them, 
to hold them in position, the Grapes were wired to pieces 
of stakes and thus kept in place. This was a very 
mechanical way, and to ladies and gentlemen would 
be disagreeable and unpleasant, besides the indelicacy 
of subjecting fruits to such indignities. 
The second premium in this class was for a piece pos¬ 
sessing far more grace and beauty. It was about three 
feet six inches high, in three tiers, at intervals of a foot, 
the lower one being the largest. It lacked principally 
cheerfulness, and good finish; too many sombre- 
colored plants and leaves were used, and to add to this 
it had a very poor position. With the addition of a 
good fruit base, brighter flowers and less dark foliage, 
this would have been a very handsome piece. 
The taste in arrangement in flowers is very variable, 
no two judge of a piece alike; what is to one an ideal, 
and, therefore, pleasing, to another seems faint or 
feeble. To our taste a design exhibited by Mr. Bennett, 
of Flatbush, was worth all the others on exhibition in 
this class. Had we been given the choice between his 
or all the others, we certainly should have taken his. 
Herein we differed from the judges, who certainly were 
as impartial as men could possibly be. 
For an original floral design suitable for wedding or 
other receptions, Le Moult, “ The Florist,” was awarded 
first premium, $100. It consisted of a miniature park 
scene, with a balloon held captive some six feet above. 
In this there was much to admire, and a good deal to 
condemn. The extreme length of the piece was seven 
feet, the width three feet six inches. The workmanship 
was somewhat deficient, the coloring undecided, and 
too much of it. A miniature lake with bridges crossing 
it was its best feature, especially its banks running 
down to the water. Large birds on very small .twigs 
spoiled the water effect ; the pathways in some parts 
were out of proportion; one or two pieces of the bound¬ 
ary were expressive, the flowers in them remarkably 
fine and well arranged. The balloon was about three 
feet high, of blue satin, with cords of crimson Carna¬ 
tions and bands of yellow Roses; it was held in position 
by a rod covered with Smilax. The balloon being nicely 
balanced, w T as easily swayed by the atmosphere in the 
room. As we remarked, there was something to admire, 
and with less coloring and bolder treatment of the 
grouping, this would have been a pretty design—the 
balloon arrangement being the original part of it. 
The second premium awarded in this class was for a 
design representing a chariot to which a pair of white 
pigeons were harnessed as if in full flight; the chariot, 
formed of crimson Carnations and brilliant Roses, was 
finely executed, but the original part of the design was 
the position of the pigeons. The only other piece in this 
class was a miniature T-cart, of the most exquisite 
workmanship, and made of the choicest Roses, 
Carnations, Orchids and Lilies-of-the-Valley; it 
was not, however, original, and we were somewhat 
puzzled to know for what reception a cart would be 
suitable. 
For the best original design of cut flowers, there was 
but one entry, to which a second premium was award¬ 
ed. This, a theatre stage, was perhaps poorer in 
design and execution than any piece exhibited. 
The first premium awarded for a wedding gift was 
for a piece representing a wish-bone, some three feet 
long, mounted on a stem about two feet high. The 
flowers in this were very brilliant and decided, but it 
would have been more easily understood if it had 
borne a label; it looked to us more like a catapult than a 
wish-bone. 
The funeral designs were simply beautiful throughout 
the whole of the classes, and were of the finest execu¬ 
tion; there was not a poor piece or a poor design. 
The first premium, $100, in this class of original designs 
was awarded to Le Moult, and it was well deserved. 
The design was a clock, the extreme height of which 
was four feet six inches, the base was also about four 
feet six inches in length, by three feet in width. The 
face of the clock was about twenty inches across, made 
of white Carnations; the figures representing the hours 
being of V iolets, the hands, pointing to 12, were also of 
Violets. A row of fine Perle rosebuds formed the bound¬ 
ary to the figures; the whole being surmounted with a 
fine rim of Violets and Niphetos rose-buds, on which 
was a white dove. The body of the clock was com¬ 
posed of the finest flowers, the rod of the pendulum of 
deep purple Pansies, the pendulum of yellow Pansies. 
The base and sides of the clock were treated in a very 
graceful way; immediately below the clock were the 
words in Violets, “ The hour has come.” It was really 
a fine piece, but we thought we could detect hurry in 
its finish. The figures on the dial were rather indis¬ 
tinct; the rod of the pendulum was too broad and too 
short. 
The second premium was awarded to a very large 
standing cross bearing the words “Rock of Ages,” 
resting on a base representing rocks. This was truly a 
superbly-made piece, and the effect produced by a band 
of Mermet Roses around the cross beneath the arms has 
left on us a very pleasant impression. The committee 
decided this piece to be wanting in originality, other¬ 
wise it would have been a very sharp competitor for the 
first honor. Perhaps the rocks were too numerous, and 
would have been more expressive if the points had been 
brought out with bosses of purple Violets. 
Yet another design of merit in this class was the 
wheel broken at the cistern—a good piece, but not one 
likely to be often imitated. 
In the class for funeral designs without regard for 
originality, Le Moult was again first with another fine 
piece, which gave him the $50 premium. This design 
was something like “Gates Ajar,” but with more ex¬ 
pression and meaning. A concave background, unto 
which the gates of purple Violets swung, showed a 
