Februaby 27, 1902. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



455 



EiKiuirer. 



Creasbrook 

 Flowers Shown at Indianapolis Last Week. 



lone or efTectiveness required in the flor- 

 al art of the period. Many growers are 

 shipping colors and varieties into the 

 markets at present which retailers are 

 <iflen compelled to buy in order to get 

 a sufficient quantity of other desirable 

 kinds. This method, adopted by some deal- 

 ers in foisting inferior stock on retail- 

 ers, is a two-edged sword; it gives the 

 grower a false impression as to the 

 value of the variety and decreases the 

 legitimate profits of the retailer. Then 

 again many agents fear to return a 

 small and just price for poor colors or 

 quality and resort to averaging, which 

 is unfair towards merit. 



In regard to methods of shipping flow- 

 ers to market, there are still differences 

 of opinion. All may agree that with 

 specimen flowers single la3-ers may be 

 correct, but with ordinary stock Hunches 

 of twenty-five in each not only saves 

 trouble and time, but often results in 

 the retailer selling them so. One of the 

 arguments against loose carnations is 

 that they are not graded as roses are. 

 The customers who select their blooms 

 always pick out the best, with the re- 

 i-ult that you must lower the price for 

 the next, use up otherwise or most often 

 throw them away. 



Let us say a word about foliage. The 

 grower never considers foliage as a nat- 

 ural commercial adjunct to the carna- 

 tion flower. It is strange that their 

 o.vclusive idea of the value of foliage 

 rests upon its freeness from rust or its 

 utility in the rooted-cutting craze which 

 yearly consumes in epidemic proportion. 

 It may be that they are not sufficiently 

 encouraged to supply this material, pos- 

 sibly the average buyer would grumble 

 if called upon to pay a little extra for a 

 few buds and foliage, but every artist 

 knows and appreciates the value of 

 such, and there are often times when a 

 bud or sprig of carnation foliage is 

 worth more than a dozen flowers. In 

 "making up'' carnations they are partly 

 on a level with ro.ses stripped of their 

 leaves, and it always appears as a deg- 

 radation to see these fine naked flowers 

 surrounded with common wild ferns, even 

 dull, lifeless Asparagus plumosus im- 

 pairs their effectiveness; the only things 

 suitable in lieu of their own foliage is 

 some light green, graceful vine or fern 

 that may emphasize their beauty. 



Flowers to wear liy lady or gentleman 

 are no longer considered the right thing 



at bigli society dinners or parties, but 

 to offset this drawback more flowers are 

 being used in vases in other than the 

 dining room. There is, and might by 

 little suggestions, be a still greater use 

 for carnations in all kinds of bouquets 

 and vase work, in fact, they are suitable 

 for all manner of floral work. The only 

 trouble is that they are liable to be ar- 

 ranged incongruously or so inarti.stic- 

 ally as to make them ridiculous. One 

 way common now among window dress- 

 ers is to stick a few in hanging vases to 

 form wreaths and frames. The flowers 

 show to disadvantage in that waj'. Car- 

 nations need to be arranged in good 

 massive clusters with careful attention 

 to color effects and individuality. Poor 

 grade, even medium grade and extra 

 choice flowers, should never be put in 

 close proximity; one injures the other 

 in the eyes of the customer. 



We always like to tie our carnations 

 in bunches when putting them in a box 

 to send out, for these reasons: It re- 

 sults in more satisfaction to all to 

 have your flowers look well at their 

 destination than to please your own 

 eye in arranging them with excessive 

 fancy touches, which are invariably upser 



during transit. The average recipient 

 of a box of flowers unpacks and ar- 

 ranges them in a careless or unat- 

 tractive way, whereas, as should be 

 done in the case of all spring flowers, 'if 

 .you tie each kind in loose bunches, the 

 stems even at the bottom, putting a 

 sheet of wax or white tissue paper be- 

 tween each bunch in the box, the results 

 are sure to be more satisfactory to 

 the receiver. 



A great many loudly heralded carna- 

 tions have been remarkable chiefly for 

 their bursted calyxes and ragged looks. 

 This season the rubber bands may be 

 all right for the grower to use in such 

 a dilemma, but the store customer is 

 liable to see them and refuse to buy. 

 We have avoided much of this by sewing 

 the top of the bursted calyx with a light 

 thread or fine wire. Needn't put it all 

 around, just one stitch will do. There 

 promises to be an extremely good de- 

 mand for fine carnations this Easter. 

 The basket and vase makers, in con- 

 junction with the artists, can get up 

 many designs that would strongly ap- 

 peal to the critical buyer. There are 

 many things easily gotten up that will 

 hold water. These designs, be they in- 



New Light Pink Carnation Mrs. Higinbotham, as Shown at Indianapolis. 



