242 



horticulture: 



August 13, 191& 



Prepared natural ferns are bewil- 

 dering in variety and coloring. There 

 are many new things in this depart- 

 ment. The wild asparagus sprays in 

 natural green are favorites, but a new 

 device is to tip them scarlet and vio- 

 let for Christmas trade. Ruscus 

 wreaths are treated the same way 

 and make a novel showing. 



B. ESCHNEK 

 Of M. Rice & Co. 



More trouble for the poor cycas 

 grower. Some clever German has a 

 new patented process and now you 

 can't tell the preserved from the real 

 thing. Flexible, soft and willowy, just 

 the right shade, and last forever. 

 Rice had to cable for more inside of 

 two weeks from the time of the first 

 arrival. 



Waxed paper is now offered in a 

 lovely "Moire effect." It looks to me 

 like a watered silk pattern of, say, 

 birds-eye maple cross grain or some 

 such wood. Silver white, violet, moss 

 green, nile green, light blue, pink. 

 Not a cheap piper but splendid for 

 fine trade and a high-class novelty. 

 Don't forget the parchment effect. I 



was almost over- 

 looking that — when 

 called by the argus- 

 eyed and argus-witted 

 M. R. 



More trouble for 

 the flower grower — 

 an improved poinset- 

 tia. This time it has 

 the foliage with it 

 and has other perfec- 

 tion touches. I get so 

 mixed up in this busi- 

 ness I hardly know 

 which side of the 

 fence I'm on, both 

 sides being such 

 good friends and all 

 of them such good, 

 honest fellows and 

 following an honest 

 business. One thing 

 I can thanlv the good 

 Lord for — the milliner 

 can't put any fra- 

 grance into his 

 American Beauty. 



Last, but not least, 

 in the galaxy of nov- 

 elties for 1911 come 

 the baskets, and all 

 lands have contrib- 

 uted their quota. One 

 of the best is an 

 Ayrdale - terrier- 

 looking production of 

 natural birch twigs. 

 Patterns in endless 

 varieties — all of them 

 charming. Gypsy bas- 

 kets, fern boxes, 

 Beauty oaskets, car- 

 nation baskets, many 

 of them with handles 

 near the ceiling. 

 Bridge designs, pot 

 holders, ratHa conceits, in a bewilder- 

 ing array. One of the daintiest things 

 in all this was a little lichen device 

 made of gray moss-covered twigs. A 

 little handle basket of gray and brown 

 and inexpensive, which I fell quite in 

 love with. 



There were seen some excellent 

 Swiss novelties in little butter tubs, 

 water carriers, etc., in wooden ware, 

 illustrated with a colored flower 



Raffia Basket. 



spray. The Italian baskets in pink, 

 white and yellow in dainty and 

 graceful weave make one think of a 

 Venetian madrigal or a Neapolitan 

 love song, they are so characteristic 

 of the care-free joyousness of the 

 light-hearted, song-loving, flower-lov- 

 ing people of the ancient sun-kissed 

 peninsula. The whole collection is 

 very gay and graceful and just the 

 thing for weddings. 



Itiili.in Novelty Basket. 



Moss Grown Pot Cover. 



