NOVEMBER 23, 1899. 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



667 



Non-Competitive display by Miss Helen Gould at the Tarrytown, N. Y., show. 



bouquets illustrated in the last issue 

 of The Review. The one on the left 

 (the first prize bouquet) is certainly 

 the more artistic of the two, and yet 

 is faulty; the drop is too long; there 

 is too much green in it. The reason is 

 this: Girls generally wear their finest 

 dress on that occasion; it is usually 

 of material that is too elegant to hide 

 with sprays of Asparagus Sprengeri; 

 that variety of green in any case is too 

 coarse to use for the ideal bouquet. 

 The "shower bouquet" on the right is 

 a bad type of art. This style origin- 

 ated in New York many years ago; we 

 well remember the occasion; there was 

 not quite so much ribbon but more 

 valley on that bouquet. 



Picture a bouquet like the one shown 

 in front of a valuable lace or satin 

 gown. And, besides, there is such an 

 artificial and unfioral effect about them 

 that condemns all. Ribbons are all 

 very nice when used properly, but they 

 should never predominate or usurp the 

 place of flowers. They may do so in 

 the millinery business but cannot in 

 floral art. 



At Tarrytown we saw a gates-ajar, 

 a broken wheel and two bride's bou- 

 quets — rather a funny combination. 

 The former, in addition to being badly 

 made, were inappropriate for such a 

 show, and the latter were very ordin- 

 ary. But these were made by novices, 

 and in a great hurry, and the spirit 

 shown is to be commended. 



At Madison there were two bouquets 

 and one basket; nothing special about 

 them; all were far below the maker's 

 reputation. At Poughkeepsie there 

 were four vases of mums arranged for 

 effect, the only "arranged" element 

 being a few autumn leaves between 

 them, and a few ordinary centerpieces 

 of chrysanthemums done by private 

 gardeners. 



The show at Newport was a treat. 

 The private gardeners of that section 

 did themselves credit, both in the table 

 decorations and in baskets of flowers. 

 Of course the fine material at their 

 disposal greatly helped to enhance the 

 beauty of their work. 



Now, regarding the general arrange- 

 ment of plants, at all the shows, here's 

 the model: Take a cone shaped fun- 

 nel, fill it with wet sand, dump it over 

 and you have the exact design for a 

 group of plants according to the pre- 

 vailing idea of beauty. Those who 

 would fain deviate from the rule are 

 afraid to do so on account of the 

 judges' familiarity — and partiality for 

 sugar-loafs. It is pathetic yet vastly 

 amusing to watch the "boys" the day 

 before the show carry the plants out 

 to the carriage house and rehearse the 

 mound building act. This is all a farce, 

 nay, a tragedy in art. Any mechanic 

 can do this kind of work; the success- 

 ful plant decorator never needs to 

 measure his material by rehearsal, and 

 his models are created by the ideals of 

 his mind's eye. In almost every show 

 you can notice rare and beautiful 

 plants subject to oblivion or disfigure- 

 ment in order to make them conform 

 to rigid outlines. There is no induce- 

 ment for beauty of design; it is a 

 narrow minded check to artistic ability 

 and a canker alike to exhibitions and 

 art. 



Let us consider the groups of 

 chrysanthemum plants arranged for 

 effect. Ah, they are arranged to affect 

 a grower's mind, not the artistic eye. 

 We behold a formal mound of very 

 j fine blooms grown to single stem; the 

 colors are mixed in crazy quilt fashion, 

 everything is so nice and exact, not a 

 flower is an inch out of gear. Pshaw! 

 is that your standard of beauty? What 

 effect has such a thing on the artist? 



When we can rise above this sort of 

 thing, when we see a proper grouping 

 and blending of colors, a display of 

 individuality in conception of design, 

 a proper regard for the laws of refine- 

 ment and a guarantee of competency 

 and fairness in judging we will have 

 exhibitions which will charm and en- 

 lighten rather than disgust and retard 

 as they do at present. 



The National Horse Show, held in 

 New York last week, was, as usual, a 

 great success. Society of every hue 

 and degree turned out in its best; the 

 display of gowns, hats, etc., was daz- 

 zling in the extreme, perhaps no other 

 assemblage was quite so gorgeous; but 

 the flowers there? Why, yes, the 

 lackeys wore a few mums, and we saw 

 one of these flowers among the thous- 

 ands of rich people in the boxes, but 

 very few flowers were worn this year 

 because, as we have stated before, the 

 colors and make of dresses would not 

 permit. Violets were tabooed on ac- 

 count of the blue, scarlet and carmine 

 waists or bonnets worn, yet, despite 

 all this, a great many flowers were 

 sent and used in divers ways and the 

 majority of florists were busy. 



The Broadway windows had special 

 displays. Thorley, in addition to some 

 pretty effects in orchids, made a 

 specialty of golf bags and brass plant 

 pots. Small & Sons showed a grand 

 window of orchids arranged on a 

 branched stump made of cork bark; the 

 flowers were chiefly Dendrobium 

 phalaenopsis and Oncidium varicosum. 

 Fleischman had a full sized stuffed 

 horse standing in a group of ferns, 

 a wreath of yellow mums 'round the 

 horse's neck, a red coated boy opened 

 the door. Scallen had chrysanthemums 

 in 16th century collars. The rest of 

 the stores made pretty displays but 

 nothing deserving special notice. 



Chrysanthemums are on the down 

 grade but they are still the best of 

 material for large decorations and 

 funeral work, and it is wise to keep 

 them as long as you can for the latter 

 kind of work. Roman hyacinths and 

 paper white narcissus have been com- 

 ing in for some time and are a relief 

 to the monotony of the flower market, 

 besides being pretty and useful where 

 sweet flowers are desired. Violets are 

 scarce and not over good this year on 

 account of weather and disease. 



Begonia Gloire de Lorraine promises 

 to be a success as a Christmas plant. 

 Many are growing for that occasion. 

 If you can, get some of it in for 

 Easter. IVERA. 



BAY CITY, MICH. — Boehringer 

 Bros, have completed another large, 

 new house to be devoted to violets. 



AIKEN, S. C. — A chrysanthemum 

 fete was recently held by the Aiken 

 Improvement Society. There were 

 regular competitions for prizes and 

 a bevy of young ladies gave an ex- 

 hibition of Japanese and chrysanthe- 

 mum drills and scenes from The Mi- 

 kado. 



