DECKMHEU 7, ISKl. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review, 



27 



Odds and Ends. 



New York floral artists have already 

 commenced their Christmas displays. 

 This week the Broadway windows are 

 made gloriously lirilliant with great 

 masses ot poinsettias. As we stated 

 last week great quantities of these 

 flowers have been grown this season 

 and they promise to be the leading 

 feature in all forms of decorative work 

 this Christmas. The color is grand, 

 but be careful what is near. If you 

 use them in your window no other 

 flowers should be there. A fringe of 

 Farleyenf e or cuneatuin or a frame of 

 holly, mistletoe or light colored as- 

 paragus will set them off to best ad- 

 vantage. 



Poinsettias last Christmas retailed 

 cut at 50 to 75 cents, on the plant at 

 $1 each flower. They may be cheaper 

 this year, but we see no good reason 

 why they should. People are willing 

 to pay a good price for well grown 

 stock, but of course some folks seem 

 to live only to cut prices, and we have 

 to stoop to recognize their acts once 

 in a while. 



Holly festoons have appeared in the 

 windows. The quality is nothing ex- 

 tra, and perhaps it's just a little pre- 

 mature to use it so soon; people get 

 tired of looking at the same thing for 

 almost a month; wait till you get an 

 extra fine case and then put it where 

 and how it will show up best. Al- 

 though we believe every window dress- 

 er should show his best all the time, 

 the window from two weeks before 

 Christma.s should exhibit his greatest 

 skill. Mind you. it isn't always quan- 

 tity that tells, it's beauty and adapt- 

 ability which usually commands the 

 most attention. You will notice how 

 the dry goods houses make special dis- 

 plays and draw the greatest crowds 

 where dolls and knick-knacks are 

 shown, but there is a large class who 

 will not notice such a window but will 

 stand where the mantles and bonnets 

 are. 



Some of you will probably have wat- 

 erfalls and rocky scenery in your win- 

 dows and the crowd will stand to ad- 

 mire, but the class whose money you 

 want like to see something they can 

 purchase. We notice with pleasure the 

 appearance of some very fine baskets 

 of flowers in the Broadwav windows 



lately. Yesterday Thorley showed an 

 immense basket of Lilium Harrisii, 

 Thehigh handle was trimmed with light 

 blue ribbon. The effect was very good; 

 keep it in mind for Easter. Small's 

 arranged a pretty basket with light 

 Adiantum gracillimum and Cypripe- 

 diura insigne, large bows of green 

 gauze ribbon on side and top of bas- 

 ket handle; it looked light and dainty. 

 Stumpp has a very artistically ar- 

 ranged window of Japanese trained 

 trees. 



Some of the florists are making dis- 

 plays of white porcelain swans. They 

 may come into favor again this sea- 

 son, having been out of the market for 

 many years; they were all the rage 

 eight or ten years ago. and don't look 

 bacf if made up properly and arranged 

 on fringed mirrors, but dry goods fake- 

 um company are selling them filled 

 with ferns for a few cents. 



}'y the way, the New York Herald is 

 hammering the municipal authorities 

 for permitting street fakirs to build 

 florists' shops under elevated railroad 

 steps and paying no rent for same. We 

 second the motion. Any element in- 

 jurious to the retailer who pays high 

 and is an American citizen can get no 

 sympathy from us; drive the pests 

 into some other and more suitable 

 line. 



Whilst we are discussing street ven- 

 ders, we have seen many changes 

 among them in New York the past fif- 

 teen years. Then they were Jews, 

 eight or ten years ago a company of 

 girls was started and an occasional 

 Frenchman crept in. then suddenly the 

 Greeks came and captured Manhattan 

 Isle; their dirtv paws maul its roses 

 still. 



An interesting letter from Mexico 

 tells us that fiowers such as roses, lil- 

 ies, violets, etc., can be had in abun- 

 dance all the year around. The prin- 

 cipal market is around the Cathedral 

 in the City of Mexico. The flowers are 

 very artistically arranged in loose 

 bunches and are sold for 25 cents per 

 bunch; $1 will fill many vases with 

 fine flowers. A great many flowers are 

 used at funerals, the caskets usually 

 being covered with them. Wreaths are 

 the most popular design; a 24-inch 

 pansy wreath can often be had for $1. 

 The floral artists and retailers in the 



City of Mexico are boys and men; in 

 several other cities, however, notably 

 Guadalaxara, little girls sell the flow- 

 ers on the streets; they have no set 

 price, anyone buying a buttonhole or 

 cluster pays what he or she wishes. 

 Though certain native fancies are 

 largely used in most of the work, still 

 much of it is very beautiful. We hope 

 soon to be able to give you illustra- 

 tions of floral art from every country, 

 and you will not be ashamed of our 

 own. 



Velvet ribbons are costly. Init they 

 are being used by a few of the florists. 

 Violets are tied with velvet ribbon; 

 with fringes some of them look dressy. 

 Velvet ribbon is excellent for extra 

 fine flowers only. If you can get the 

 right shade of color it makes cattleyas, 

 etc., look very fine. We don't care for 

 the fringe; there's too much of the 

 dressed dollism about it, but there is 

 a luster and richness about these new 

 ribbons which, if properly used, will 

 add much to your work. All grades 

 of self-colored ribbons are advancing 

 in price; at one time this season there 

 were over $20,000,000 worth of ribbons 

 in stock among the New York dealers; 

 they have stopped the manufacture of 

 many brands. 



What a revolution there has been in 

 the basket trade the past decade or 

 two. First they were made of wheat 

 and spills, then rushes, afterwards wil- 

 low, and again celluloid, then raffia. 

 Now our finest baskets are gems of art 

 and are made of green luffa with var- 

 nished palm stalks for embellishment. 

 They look fine in the window and one 

 or two will make your store look bet- 

 ter, but beware of the customer who 

 wants your best one filled for a few 

 dollars. 



Remember cards and envelopes are 

 small items, but they are mighty im- 

 portant. Get the best quality you can 

 and have them neatly placed on the 

 de.5k intended for customers to write 

 on. 



Most florists are busy now fixing up 

 the red immortelle stars they made in 

 summer months, or are working nights 

 making new ones. There's going to be 

 lots of them used in wreaths this year; 

 have them well made and use the ber- 

 ry red immortelle; it is a better color 

 than the ordinary red. I.,uffia stars are 

 no good; they spoil the cheapest 

 wreath. If you want extra fine wreaths 

 you must make them up yourself. 

 Some fairly good ones can be had on 

 the market; they're all right for cheap 

 trade, but you will sell lots of the bet- 

 ter ones if you show them to advan- 

 tage. 



Ardisias are fine around New York 

 this time; with red or green pot covers 

 and a bit of berry red ribbon, they 

 promise to be good sellers. 



If you are foolish enough to harbor 

 any trash around your place, throw it 

 out of sight for the present and let 

 nothing be seen but good, salable stock. 



Pyramid shaped box trees have be- 

 come quite popular for exterior deco- 

 ration in New York. 



IVBBA. 



