AUGUST 10. 1899. 



The Weekly Florists' Review, 



239 



Philip Breitmeyer, Vice-President Society of American Florists. 



you are apt to be careless and the fact 

 is not lost to the eye of those who 

 pass. Summer window displays need 

 not be elaborate; just a vase of gladio- 

 lus or some hardy flower to let the 

 people see you are still in business; 

 one never can tell who may go by or 

 call, and mind you a vase of some 

 brilliant flower prettily arranged in 

 your window now might do you as 

 much good as an expensive exhibition 

 in winter. 



Toleration. 



Toleration is a word which requires 

 deep consideration from most sensible 

 men, particularly florists. There is a 

 good deal of beauty in most things 

 and a great deal of meaning in many. 

 We are often face to face with prob- 

 lems and perplexing situations where 

 a wise interpretation of toleration 

 means success. 



All of you know the varied kinds of 

 customers who from time to time come 

 in and order things which appear to 

 you as either crazy or not quite right 

 in your opinion. In such cases it is 

 right to quietly try to correct them, 

 and in doing so do not become voluble 

 or gloat over your superior knowledge; 

 many excellent people, in fact most 

 intelligent people are sensitive, and 

 dislike anything that will make them 

 appear either ignorant or possessors 

 of poor taste or weak ideas. When- 

 ever you differ with a customer be 

 diplomatic in expressing your opinion. 

 Remember you are but a small atom 

 on this universe and must depend on 

 others to live. 



Yes, toleration is a grand good 

 thing; we would like to see more of 

 it cultivated amongst florists; not that 

 they need it more than other profes- 

 sions, but that they do need it; of 

 course it must not be construed that 

 we include ignorance or abuses which 

 are detrimental and destructive, for 

 such we abhor; we refer to the gener- 

 ality of good things, to the customers 

 we depend on, to the beginner, 

 to those who try to or succeed in ele- 

 vating any part of our trade, to out- 

 rival, to the several unpleasant but 

 innocent affairs that occur between 

 business men and to that which per- 

 haps is most important to our part — 

 the different elements and degrees 

 which go to make up American floral 

 art. 



We may have a general or united 

 idea of what constitutes perfect beau- 

 ty, but the forms are too numerous to 

 permit of set standards being hastily 

 put upon them. Often we see designs 

 and decorations made by poor florists 

 whose limited resources prevent them 

 from giving expression to their ideas, 

 often a better knowledge of cheap ma- 

 terial would be of great benefit to 

 them; yet it isn't right to sneer at 

 their work, because even poor as his 

 material may be you may find both 

 beauty and some little originality in 

 its makeup; rather reserve your ad- 

 verse criticisms for the well-to-do city 

 florist, whose abundance of everything 

 makes poor work inexcusable. 



Japanese Floral Art. 



In the current number of Scribner's 



appears a very interesting article on 

 "Japanese Floral Art," the writer of 

 which is wrong when he insinuates 

 that there is no such art in America. 

 We do not wish to dispute the credit 

 which the Japanese are entitled to. 

 but whilst there is a great amount of 

 beauty in their arrangements, their 

 mode is more the giving of expression 

 to their recognized "language of flow- 

 ers," than the art of arranging ac- 

 cording to the demands of beauty as 

 we know it. These people have for 

 generations been taught to give ex- 

 pression to their thoughts and senti- 

 ments by flowers and foliage; this 

 knowledge is given to them at school, 

 the teachers are looked upon as floral 

 artists. Japan is the only country 

 where a language of flowers is rec- 

 ognized and regularly employed. Their 

 forms afford excellent material for 

 artists to illustrate; there is imagina- 

 tive beauty in their curves and twists. 

 a great deal of poetry in their com- 

 binations, but they are not adaptable 

 to this country; here we care not what 

 a flower means if it is bright, sweet or 

 beautiful, and our art depends not so 

 much on the creations which appear 

 well on paper, but rather on the ideals 

 which are prettiest when practically 

 applied. 



We are too cosmopolitan to adopt 

 any other country's standard on any 

 line, and 'tis lucky we are so, for we 

 have attained far greater heights than 

 any of them have; the trouble is we, 

 as a nation, at present only glory in 

 our strength and enterprise. We have 

 not time to stop and fully appreciate 

 many things we will yet be proud of, 

 and florists must have the same pa- 

 tience as others. 



Summer Decorations. 



Many of you may be called upon to 

 decorate for the home coming of trav- 

 ellers, and where these decorations 

 are confined to private houses, care 

 should be taken to avoid over elab- 

 orateness or formality. The Ameri- 

 can flag is more expressive than a 

 "Welcome Home" sign, and a vase 

 of flowers is far preferable to yards 

 of garlands. 



Where public buildings are to be 

 decorated of course a wider latitude 

 is given, and here remember your 

 work should be as massive as the cir- 

 cumstances will permit. The home 

 coming of Admiral Dewey should be 

 the occasion of a grand display of dec- 

 orative art. We are glad to know that 

 a triumphal arch will be built as we 

 suggested across the junction of 

 Broadway and Fifth avenue, in New 

 York, and we hope the florists' part 

 will be creditable. We would like to 

 see the florists of the country do some- 

 thing on this occasion which would 

 bring them prominently before the 

 country; surely 'tis our place and right 

 to crown with laurel and roses all 

 that's best in heroic patriotism. Let 

 the S. A. F. consider the matter; 

 there will be lots of outdoor flowers 

 and autumn foliage, an abundance of 

 palm leaves, and the cost of a dem- 



