The profuseness with which flowers are used in New York at bridal or funeral occasions is fairly a subject of extraordinary comment. We have personally known flowers to the amount of $6,000 worth brought to a church to decorate it, on the occasion of the funeral of one of the most prominent citizens of this city. Harpers* Bazar refers to this subject, and speaks of their use on social occasions.

The floral decorations are a charming feature of evening entertainments this winter, and are withal expensive, $2,000 being sometimes the florist's bill for the elaborate decorations of a single reception. Different devices are arranged for each room, and for almost every part of each room. Corners are decorated with potted plants, and with cut plants heaped in pyramids; smilax looped with rose-buds festoons the cornices; draperies of roses and smilax are arranged between windows, mantels arc divided in three beds of flowers, with violets in the center, daphnes and roses on each end, and a ground-work of lycopodium and ferns. In the wide doors between drawing-rooms is a canopy of flowers shaped like a parasol, and supporting nine balls made of different kinds of flowers, violets, roses, etc The walls of main parlors are transformed into beds of flowers, where wire frames support great fields of heliotrope, roses, camellias, tuberoses and carnations, edged with ferns, smilax and the scarlet leaves of the poinsettia. On other walls are flower cornucopias three feet in diameter, filled with the loveliest cut flowers. To make the hall look different from the rooms, ivy is draped above the doors and staircases, and the landings have baskets of ferns and hanging vines.

Great banks of flowers are heaped in the dressing-rooms, and picture frames are studded with daphnes, violets and roses, and draped with smilax, while choice cut flowers fill antique jars and vases. Instead of the marriage-bell of flowers formerly seen at wedding receptions, the bride and groom now stand under an arbor or bower of roses arranged before a long mirror. High epergnes of cut flowers are used on refreshment tables where the guests stand; at dinners, where the company are seated, there are lower epergnes, that do not obstruct the view. Troughs of glass in figures, letters and monograms, and straw baskets representing sheaves of pats or wheat, also hold the flowers. At small dinners each gentleman guest finds a boutonniere at his plate, and each lady a larger nosegay, called by the florist a belt bouquet, or else a napkin bouquet. The latter cost from $1 to $2 each, and the former 50 cents. The long-stemmed flowers that are now loosely put together for hand bouquets, are first pierced through the calyx by a fine wire, which is then twisted around its stem to support it, the florists say.

Remonstrate against this torture of so sweet a flower, and you are assured that experiment proves that the pierced rose will not fade sooner than its lovely companion that is left free beside it. The bouquet is chosen with reference to the flowers that trim the dress.