1885 New Guide Hotel Bar Restaurant

TABLE DECORATIONS, ETC.

477

flower decorations were a most charming innovation. The grouping, colouring, and the display of feathery grasses, with the delicate fronds of maiden-hair fern, and tall drooping plumes of the lady ferns, overshadowing rich clusters of scarlet, orange, and other wild berries, were really beautiful. To say nothing of the weird splendour of the long woodland creepers, of which not the least remarkable were the bella- donna, and pitcher or cup creeper. Then what do you think of real fungi being used in the moss for plateau deco- ration ; until now I was hardly aware what glorious combi- nations could be produced by the grouping of edible fungi. After the supper was over these mushrooms were not wasted, but were carefully gathered, dried, and kept for kitchen use. At an Agricultural Banquet, the following were the decorations. The table was a picture combining the best arts of the gardener and the Chef. The two should always work in concert. In the centre of the table was a fountain, the waters of which were perfumed with orange-flower water. Around was a border of wild roses and forget-me-nots, the latter in clusters ; a kind of basket or trellis work of spun sugar surrounded this, and was reflected by the plateau below. Four miniature fountains, moulded from sugar, with fine white sugar web to represent the water playing in the fountains, whilst flower wreaths and smaller sugar spun lattice work surrounded them, as in the case of the centre- piece. On the cross table were arrangements of jonquils, ferns, and crimson roses in elegant taste, whilst the grouping of the fruits would have done credit to a royal banquet. Some of the baskets on the tables were made on the same principle as the chantilly baskets, with bouquets piped in coloured icing on the top. They (the baskets) were formed of pistachio nuts, blanched, and cut in half lengthwise, sweet and bitter almonds coloured with saffron, cochineal.