142 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



JULY 13. 



One can take the electric car that 

 passes the place and ride to the heart 

 of the city for a single 5 cent fare, 

 though an hour is required for the 

 trip. A quicker trip can be made by 

 taking the train at Summerdale sta- 

 tion, which is near by, and where are 

 delivered on a side track the numerous 



cars of coal required by the estab- 

 lishment. Last winter over 7,000 tons 

 of coal were consumed in heating. 

 They are particular about their fuel as 

 they believe that good coal very mate- 

 rially increases the efficiency of the 

 heating apparatus. Their principal 

 reliance is a soft nut coal. 



Retrospective. 



The story of the large carnation bou- 

 tonniere is known to a very few. Many 

 florists dislike making them, because 

 they are difficult and a bother when 

 there is a rush of business in the 

 store, but 'tis one of the best you can 

 make, and is more responsible than 

 any other element for the good carna- 

 tions of today. The large boutonniere 

 originated in Klunder's store eleven 

 years ago. Diodate Thompson was 

 Ward McAllister's right hand man 

 and was active in all the functions of 

 the "400" of those days. One day he 

 came into the store and was loud in 

 praise of a few Malmaison carnations 

 he had seen in some private place near 

 London. It was the eve of a great 

 ball at Delmonico's and he wanted a 

 very large carnation made up. The 

 first bunch of Lizzie McGowans had 

 just been brought in, the calyx and 

 seed pod was taken from six of them, 

 and each was made compact by a No. 

 36 wire; then they were put together 

 solidly as one carnation and the stem 

 made small enough for the button- 

 hole. This boutonniere became very 

 popular and was the favorite at all so- 

 ciety events of those days, and to it 

 Lizzie McGowan owes more than is 

 generally known. It was a weak 

 stemmed and bursted calyx flower then 

 and was fit for nothing but "made up 

 work." It is true it was the largest 

 carnation on the market then, and the 

 price (6 or 8 cents, I think) forbade its 

 use as a funeral flower. It is today the 

 best carnation for made up bouton- 

 nieres, to which fact it may still owe 

 much of its existence. 



What a revolution we have had in 

 carnation culture the past twelve 

 years. Hinze's White was the best white 

 carnation then because of its stem, 

 Grace Wilder was the most popular on 

 account of its color, Anna Webb was 

 the best crimson, the scarcity of But- 



tercup was the cause of many a big 

 fight, Hinsdale was a great favorite on 

 account of its fragrance. Of course 

 there were a few other kinds, but their 

 appearance on the market was spas- 

 modic. What a vast army of "novel- 

 ties" have been on the market since 

 then, and what a change has come 

 over everything and everybody. Ver- 

 ily flowers are like humanity, bloom- 

 ing and bright today, faded and forgot- 

 ten tomorrow. 



Novelties. 

 We cannot help considering how im- 

 portant it is for the retailer to give a 

 fair trial to novelties in flowers. Much 

 of the success of new flowers depends 

 on how they are handled and to what 

 use they are put. There never was and 

 never will be a sweeter rose than 

 Madame Cusin for many forms of 

 work; get them with spray and bud 

 and nothing can equal them today. 

 Where are the Cornelia Cooks we 

 knew? Is the Bride rose the ideal 

 white rose of today? Is the American 

 Beauty the only large rose we are to 

 see on the market? Is floriculture ad- 

 vancing on right lines when commer- 

 cial flowers are being continually nar- 

 rowed down? Let us go out to the 

 growers today and see what they have 

 planted for next season. Oceans of 

 Bridesmaids, seas of Brides, fields of 

 Beauties, acres of Meteors, patches of 

 a few others. We should not blame the 

 grower for what varieties of flowers 

 come on the market; he grows only 

 the kinds you will buy the quickest. 

 We referred to this matter last week, 

 and do so again because we know a 

 great many of you can make money 

 out of specialties. You are driving 

 your trade into the peddler's hands by 

 using only the same kind of stock he 

 sells. The florist's business demands 

 greater variety of flowers. This can be 

 brought about only by leading retail- 

 ers having things specially grown for 



them. On the other hand, over-propa- 

 gation and impatience on the part of 

 the grower has resulted in a poor re- 

 ception and early death of many a 

 good rose and carnation. The New 

 York cut flower market is a veritable 

 "potter's field" for the world's floral 

 novelties. Every mother considers her 

 child the best; 'tis so with originators 

 of new flowers, and it's not right to 

 condemn all they say because it is 

 they, particularly the persistent and 

 go-ahead hybridizers, who are helping 

 us to put our business on higher levels. 

 Name your new flowers after your best 

 customers, or give them suitable 

 American names. There is a great 

 deal in a name where flowers are con- 

 cerned; let "Mary Jane" and "Susan 

 Marie" be confined more to the kitchen 

 garden. 



"Liberty," Mr. E. Asmus' new crim- 

 son rose, promises to be the best new 

 rose on the market for some time to 

 come. Its color and its name is thor- 

 oughly American. We cannot say too 

 much for it as a cut flower. One trouble 

 with Mr. Taylor's new rose, "Admiral 

 Dewey," is that it seems too white- 

 livered for the name. It is a pretty 

 rose under certain conditions, good for 

 weddings or funerals or as an outdoor 

 rose, but will not be a great success 

 for table work. Whilst we are speak- 

 ing of Dewey, his home coming may 

 be the means of creating a national 

 flower, and we would like to see the 

 florists of the country demonstrate 

 their patriotism by a great shower of 

 flowers, or a grand triumphal arch 

 across the junction of Broadway and 

 Fifth avenue in New York. The event 

 should be national and retailers should 

 take active part in it. Let us climb 

 above the level of self-satisfaction, 

 where ambition seems satisfied to eke 

 out a mere living by mechanically 

 handling flowers. It is time we were 

 united and that we did something to 

 forcibly bring ourselves and our art 

 before the eyes of the country, and we 

 will never have a better opportunity 

 than on Dewey's return. 



Seasonable Flowers. 



The finest flower on the market to- 

 day is Cattleya gigas. They are not 

 overplentiful, which makes them all 

 the choicer. They will do for anything 

 outside of brides' bouquets, and can be 

 shipped long distances. Pack them so 

 as they cannot move; soft white tissue 

 paper is best to use. Harrisii continue 

 to be very useful for funeral work; it 

 looks as if we are soon to get these 

 flowers all the year around. Gardenias 

 are the swellest boutonniere, particu- 

 larly at Newport. Florists' windows 

 show very few flowers nowadays. Here 

 and there we may see a bunch of hardy 

 flowers; the majority of first class 

 store windows exhibit a few choice 

 plants and a handsome vase or two. 

 Field daisies- are used to good advan- 

 tage in many decorations; the white 

 ones make quite a pretty wreath which 

 is very appropriate for a child. 



Decorations. 



The value of aspidistras shows best 



