APRIL 27, 1S99. 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



545 



And it was a genuine love for his 

 work and close attention to it tliat 

 gave him such eminent success as a 

 grower. 



Mr. Savage's labors as a hybridist 

 have been alluded to, and it may be of 

 interest to recall the fact that orchids 

 were not his first or only sul)jects in 

 the realm of experiment, for as far 

 back as 1881 or 1882 he produced some 

 very inte-resting lots of seedling Indian 

 azaleas and also crotons, the result of 

 various crosses, some of these seed- 

 lings proving to be distinct and valu- 

 able enough to be disseminated at 

 about that time. 



In his work Mr. Savage was ex- 

 tremely neat and careful, but most 

 energetic, and it required a really live 

 man to make George hustle at the pot- 

 ting bench. 



In his home he was a loving hus- 

 band, and a sincere friend to those 

 fortunate enough to enjoy his confi- 

 dence, and at this sad time the heart- 

 felt sympathy of many friends is ten- 

 dered to his sorrowing widow, and 

 among them is that of the writer, who 

 stood with George and his bride be- 

 fore the altar of old Trinity Church, 

 New York, at the time they were made 

 one. W. H. TAPLIN. 



Table Decorations. 



It is true that lovely flowers look 

 pretty anyhow and anywhere, but he 

 or she who presumes to be a floral 

 artist should have more than a mere 

 knowledge of color. The observant 

 florist knows that when flowers are 

 cheap they are used on occasions 

 where people would never dream of 

 using them when they are expensive. 

 A more general use, not necessarily a 

 more extensive use, of flowers should 

 always be encouraged. A technical 

 knowledge of what is right and what 

 is wrong is more essential to your 

 success than a spasmodic ambition to 

 lead eccentric fashion; the latter will 

 desert you, the former will stand by 

 you. There are times when the best 

 of us will be puzzled as to how to 

 act and what to suggest, but it is bad 

 to be often caught so. 



Now let us discuss with what and 

 how to decorate the table for break- 

 fast, luncheon or tea, because there 

 are more of these decorated now than 

 In winter. We- will not deal with the 

 dinner table here because it requires 

 different treatment. For the three 

 occasions specified almost the same 

 kind of flowers and arrangement will 

 do, if any difference is desired the 

 luncheon and tea tables should be 

 the more elaborate, although there 

 should never be either formality or 

 superabundance displayed for these 

 events. Simplicity in flower and ar- 

 rangement should be the rule. "Made 

 ^up" designs should never be used un- 

 less it be a dish of ferns, and flow- 



ers should not be stuck in it. We 

 have often been called upon to deco- 

 rate a luncheon table in the center of 

 which a $3,000 lace cover has been 

 spread; no greens or heavy effects 

 were permissible here, only the slen- 

 derest kind of vase and the most 

 graceful varieties of flowers. 



This year there are many beautiful 

 new designs in table covers; they are 

 mostly made of rennaisance lace with 

 sprays or garlands of one variety of 

 flower embroidered in natural colors 

 on the outer border; of course where 

 such covers are used only the same 

 kind of flower or at least some of the 

 same flowers can be used by the 

 florist; for instance, the embroidery 

 may be pansies, then of course we 

 must use a cut glass vase or bowl 

 of pansies, principally light colors, 

 and place just a very few of the flow- 

 ers without foliage on the cloth, and a 

 few on the table beyond the cloth. 

 The beauty of the cloth must not be 

 covered up and your flowers will show 

 up all the better for it. Remember 

 this, when you are called upon to dec- 

 orate a table — the cloth or cover upon 

 it should be seriously considered and 

 delicately treated if good taste and 

 common sense should demand it. 



Cut glass or green Venetian vases, 

 dishes or bowls, whatever class they 

 may belong to, are the best to use; 

 those that will allow you to arrange 

 low effects are most preterable. Sim- 

 plicity must always be your guiding 

 star for the breakfast table, and all 

 you can use is a vase of flowers in 

 the center and that should be either 



of sweet peas, pansies, flowering 

 shrub, jonquils or some such flower. 

 If the lady dines in her own room 

 just a rose or a spray of some such 

 flower is put on the side of the tray. 

 There are neither finger-bowl- sprays 

 nor boutonnieres wanted at these in- 

 formal affairs. 



Carnations are a good flower for the 

 lunch table, and the pink varieties, 

 either ligtit or dark, but self-colors 

 and on stiff stems, are the best. Use 

 a little carnation foliage and a few 

 buds with them and nothing else. Al- 

 most any grower will send foliage 

 with his carnations if requested to do 

 so, and it should be more generally 

 used than it is, there is nothing more 

 appropriate. 



Nasturtiums or tropaeolums make a 

 most effective vase for small tables, 

 and the stiffness of daffodils or 

 trumpet narcissus can be greatly less- 

 ened by having a few N. campernelle 

 in amongst and a little above them; 

 even these flowers look be'st with 

 some of their own foliage, and if a 

 spreading, graceful design is wished, 

 use a few light tips of Asparagus ten- 

 uissmus, but have all your green sub- 

 servient and not a rival to the color 

 of the flowers. A cluster of mignonette 

 will often enhance the beauty of a 

 vase of yellow flowers but the mig- 

 nonette should never be more than 

 one-fourth of the whole. And whilst 

 we are talking about this flower we 

 cannot help thinking that the desire 

 to produce gigantic spikes of mig- 

 nonette cannot emanate from the 

 aesthetic mind; there is very little 

 beauty about those stiff spikes and 

 the retail florist makes little or no 

 money out of them for the reason 

 that most customers look upon mig- 

 nonette in the same light as they do 

 any other greens and they dislike to 

 pay for it. 



Miniature Caddy bags with small 

 golf sticks fastened to the sides and 

 a bunch of daisies or arbutus stuck 

 into the mouth of the bag makes a 

 most appropriate favor for Golf Club 

 affairs; tie the colors of the club on 

 the bag. 



If your customer is tired of every- 

 thing in the usual run of dinner deco- 

 rations and you can get some shrub- 

 by calceolarias, suggest them; they 

 make the most brilliantly gorgeous 

 effect; the colors are simply magnifi- 

 cent. There is nothing like them. If 

 possible use one color. Get a flat dish 

 or basket, cut half the roots of the 

 plants and fix them so that very littlo 

 foliage will be se'en; you can do this 

 by facing some outwards. 



One of the finest centerpieces can be 

 made with crimson or scarlet cannas, 

 but they must be put in vases of 

 water and carefully handled; their 

 own foliage is too coarse, a little as- 

 paragus or delicate fern goes better 

 with them. Orchids just at present 

 are scarce. Dendrohiums seem ,to 

 be the most plentiful, but they are 

 only fit for window or general house 

 decorating; if in the latter a few 



