328 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



MARCH 2, 1899. 



no; but we would like to know for 

 certain. Then again, the bulbs we are 

 speaking of have so far made but little 

 top growth, while three or four weeks 

 later nature will have quickened them 

 with the impulse to shoot up and dis- 

 play their attractions to the instinct 

 world and incidentally to our custom- 

 ers. Finally, it will be entirely proper 

 to be this year on the safe side. 



You can hardly call the flowering of 

 tulips, hyacinths or narcissus forcing 

 after this date, as they come along 

 nicely in any of our houses. Suppos- 

 ing you put your flats, pots or pans of 

 the above mentioned useful bulbs in a 

 house where the night temperature is 

 55 degrees; then you will be perfect- 

 ly safe to allow the following number 

 of days: Roman hyacinths, 18 days; 

 Dutch hyacinths, 21 days; double tu- 

 lips, 25 days; single tulips, 21 days; 

 Von Sion or any of the narcissus, 21 

 days. If your tulips are frozen, allow 

 three days more, as it takes that time 

 to thaw them out in the shed. If you 

 have Roman hyacinths frozen, bring 



them in with their covering of 

 earth and tanbark and let them thaw 

 out very slowly in a cool shed, and 

 they will be none the worse; but if 

 put into strong heat when frozen, they 

 are greatly injured. 



The buds of lilies should now be 

 plainly seen, and better If they are 2 

 inches long. Azaleas that have been 

 kept cool are going to be just about 

 right. If thoy are showing color here 

 and there, no harm. Lilac will force 

 nicely in four weeks. If your rhodo- 

 dendrons don't want to open, and they 

 won't open in a cool house, as does an 

 azalea, put them into the hottest house 

 you have; 70 at night will do; give 

 them lots of water and syringe twice 

 a day. I told you before to give 

 Deutzias a good five weeks. Hope you 

 have them in the house. We shifted 

 and stopped the mignonette for the 

 last time about two weeks ago, and 

 from now till Easter it wants the 

 lightest bench you have and not over 

 45 degrees at night. 



■WILLIAM SCOTT. 



A PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 



"There is always room at the top," 

 says Mr. H. H. Battles, the well known 

 Philadelphia florist. "Originality, 

 good taste and absolute integi-ity are 

 the three requisites to success." Mr. 

 Battles lays much stress on the 

 third requirement. To establish the 

 ideal relation between the florist and 

 his customer the latter must have been 

 brought to have absolute confidence 

 in not only the abilty as a decorator 

 and arranger of flowers of the latter, 

 but also in his honor. The florist who 

 takes advantage of a liberal minded 

 customer has done himself an irre- 

 parable injury. The very life of his 

 business is his reputation flrst as one 

 to whom it is safe to give cart blanche 

 order and second as one with the taste 

 and skill to produce the most satis- 

 factory result. He must establish a 

 reputation for supplying fresh flowers, 

 and always on time, and the smallest 

 order that has been accepted must re- 

 ceive just as careful attention as the 

 largest. Failure with a small order is 

 just as disastrous as with a large one. 



As illustrating his point he adds that 

 during the recent heavy storms in 

 Philadelphia it cost him $11.00 to de- 

 liver a $1.50 bunch of flowers, but it 

 was delivered and on time. During 

 the storm the expense of delivery was 

 very heavy, but expense was not 

 spared, as he felt it vital to maintain 

 his reputation for being always on 

 time. 



In his business he uses the highest 

 grade of flowers obtainable, and the 

 greatest care is taken to prevent any 

 but flrst class stock going to his cus- 

 tomers. As a result the people say: 

 "Battle's prices are high, but when 

 you order of him it is sure to be all 

 right, and delivered on time." It is 

 his constant aim to maintain and ex- 

 tend the reputation he has secured in 

 this direction. He uses a distinctive 

 box, tied with red tape and sealed 

 with red wax, and his effort is to have 

 all flower buyers feel that when that 

 box appears they can depend upon the 

 contents being perfectly fresh and the 

 very best the market affords in the 

 way of flowers. 



Referring to changes in the business 



during the last decade, Mr. Battles 

 notes a great cliange in the status of 

 the florist. Formerly when he had a 

 decoration he passed his plateau of 

 flowers into the house and he was 

 done with it. Now he is called early 

 and consulted with freely in advance. 

 His position is now more that of an 

 expert, and has greatly advanced in 

 dignity. 



He notes a considerable increase in 

 the custom of sending bouquets to de- 

 butantes, this having been done with 

 unusual freedom this season and last. 

 These bouquets range in price from 

 $5 to $40 each and when received are 

 laid carelessly on mantels, the piano, 

 window seats, pedestals of statuary, 

 or any convenient place, and often but 

 little other decoration is required. 

 Sometimes fifty or more of these bou- 

 quets may be sent to one debutante on 

 the occasion of her "coming out," and 

 the house may be filled with flowers in 

 this way. It can be seen from the way 

 tlie flowers are used how necessary it 

 is that they be absolutely fresh to 

 stand such usage and look well. 



The shower bouquet remains very 

 popular. They are most generally 

 made to hang in the form of a bunch 

 of grapes, with a bow on the liandle 

 or among the flowers. A recent order 

 was for a shower bouquet of orchids 

 and lily of the valley with a diamond 

 pin in the ribbon, the pin being sup- 

 plied by the customer. 



At lunches the decorations of the 

 room are generally simple and unob- 

 trusive, consisting of individual palms 

 or other plants placed so as to seem 

 a part of the usual fui-nishing of the 

 house, and often the flowers are loose 

 .ninches that have been placed with 

 seeming carelessness in a low handled 

 basket, and at the close of the enter- 

 tainment the basket is placed in the 

 hall or passed by a servant, each guest 

 being expected to take a bunch. 



Of late there has been many din- 

 ners that preceded a ball, and at these 

 dinners the decorations in many cases 

 liave been very elaboi-ate. In addition 

 to the usual high center piece there 

 has been an expensive bouquet for 

 each lady, this bouquet being laid on 

 the table with a ribbon attached to 

 it and leading to her plate. At such 

 dinners the boutonnieres for the gen- 

 tlemen have been verv smal . w^ 

 two sprays of lily of the valley. More 

 pretentious boutonnieres were provid- 

 ed after the dinner that they might be 

 fresh for wear at the ball. 



Hand bouquets are considerably 

 used at balls, receptions and teas, and 

 the custom of carrying bouquets to 

 the theatre when a box is occupied 

 seems to be I'eviving. A "French the- 

 atre bouquet" was being arranged dur- 

 ing the call of the writer. It was 

 perfectly flat across the top and when 

 completed was aI>out four feet across. 

 In the center was about 500 single vi- 

 olets, then a row of Roman hyacinths 

 interspersed with double violets, a row 

 of Bride roses, another of Maids, then 



