October, iqio 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
237 
Sets of various pattern and size in this Wedgewood ware may be bought, the inner recep 
tacles being filled with ferns or cut flowers for the dining-table 
The New Things in Table Deco¬ 
rations 
O LD fashions cleverly combined with 
new ideas go to make up the lat¬ 
est forms of table decorations, for de¬ 
cided changes in the scheme of ornamen¬ 
tations for the dinner-party have been 
introduced this season. 
Artificial flowers, once scorned as be¬ 
neath the consideration of any self-re¬ 
specting hostess, have come into vogue, 
and are taking their place with the choic¬ 
est hot-house blossoms as decorations 
and as favors, particularly the latter. 
Tiny flower-pots of ornamental porcelain, 
with artificial plants of corresponding- 
size serve the double purpose of place 
decorations and individual favors. 
The newest of these pots of flowers, 
shown in the illustration, are reminiscent 
in shape and coloring, of the handsome 
vases that used to occupy prominent 
places on the mantelpieces in old-fash¬ 
ioned parlors. Of graceful outlines, they 
Ornamented porcelain flower-pots with arti¬ 
ficial moss, stems and porcelain blossoms 
are coming into vogue as table decorations 
and favors 
are ornamented with bands of gold and 
bright colored flowers that form raised 
figures on the larger pieces. 
They come in various sizes, from the 
large flower-pots suitable for centerpieces, 
down to the miniature ones that are used 
as favors at the different places. The 
same kind of flower may be used in each 
one if a particular color scheme is to be 
carried out, or each may show a differ¬ 
ent blossom as in the illustration. 
The plants, rising from beds of arti¬ 
ficial moss are of much the same construc¬ 
tion as any ordinary, artificial plant, so 
far as stems and leaves go, but the little 
flowers are made of porcelain, lovely in 
color and wonderfully natural in appear¬ 
ance. They have, therefore, not only 
lasting qualities, but they give to a table 
the effect of hot-house decorations, and 
they can be filled with ferns or small¬ 
growing plants if different decorations 
are desired. 
Reproductions of old Wedgewood are 
also coming into favor for the table, and 
a decided innovation is the use of many 
small pieces of this ware to form an ela¬ 
borate scheme of decoration. 
In the rustic effect there are no end 
of pieces, notably the different sections 
of a fence, straight pieces, curved sections 
for ends, and gates. The fence-posts are 
hollow, forming little holders for flowers, 
and there is practically no limit to the 
possibilities for decoration, or rather, one 
is limited only by the number of pieces 
that are available. Larger pieces are to 
be had in the shape of fern dishes and 
jardinieres for the center of the table. 
Quite as effective are the sets of 
plainer pieces, that are like little white 
china boxes of various shapes, with inner 
sections that are filled with ferns or flow¬ 
ers. These come in straight pieces, square 
corners and curved ends, and little urn¬ 
shaped vases to match are set up at in¬ 
tervals between the different pieces. 
These prevent the decorations from hav¬ 
ing too flat an appearance, as a large 
centerpiece is not used with a set of this 
style. 
The inner sections may be filled with 
water and Sweet Peas, Pansies or other 
short-stemmed flowers used as the deco¬ 
ration, or they may be filled with earth 
and each one turned into a miniature 
fernery with moss and tiny ferns, pro¬ 
ducing a most satisfactory green and 
white effect. 
The sets, which contain from five to 
seventeen pieces, come in the plain white- 
ware decorated with slightly raised fig¬ 
ures, or in openwork, giving a rather 
more elaborate appearance, while some 
of the handsomer ones bear French gilt. 
That these miniature fences and win¬ 
dow-boxes and vases look like a toy gar¬ 
den when they appear in their official 
capacity at a dinner-party there is not 
the slightest doubt, but they are unques¬ 
tionably fascinating, and have at least the 
charm of novelty. S. F. C. 
Watch the Window Cords 
NLESS you are sure that the con¬ 
tractor or builder who is looking 
after your house is well posted, and 
working in your interest, select your own 
window cords. Nothing is so exasperat¬ 
ing as to have a cord snap when you have 
just strained every muscle in a mighty 
effort to raise the sash from the sill. The 
old-fashioned rope which wears through 
so easily has in the best houses long since 
been superseded by a solid braided cord, 
which has not only hanging strength, but 
possesses wearing quality as well. Ex¬ 
amine the cord carefully before you buy 
and see that the quality of yarn from 
which it is made is good, and that the 
braiding is even and very close. Mam- 
people have a habit of using the cords of 
a window-sash as a snap pulley in open¬ 
ing a window which is “stuck." Each 
cord receives quite a vicious jerk from 
the hands, which pulls the weights half 
up; then as the cord is released the 
weights fall with a heavy thud—in most 
cases pulling the frame free from the sill; 
if it does not, the process is repeated. This 
strain is very bad for the life of the cord. 
Chains, while more expensive, stand bet¬ 
ter a strain of this sort. K. N. B. 
A new pattern of Bohemian glass, daintily etched. 
dozen pieces 
The cost is $16.00 for the set of five 
