EVERLASTING FLOWERS AND 

 SOME COMMON EXOTICS 



The Australian Star Flower and Plants 

 FROM Orient and Tropics 



NOT long ago I received a tentative order 

 for ten million clusters of flowers in a 

 single lot. The order came from a French 

 milliner, who stated that unless he could get at 

 least ten million blossoms he could not afford to 

 handle them at all. I was too busy with other 

 things to attempt to fill the order, but the fact 

 that it was given is worthy of record as illus- 

 trating the more or less unexpected oppor- 

 tunities that sometimes happen to the plant 

 experimenter. 



The flower that the French milliner wished 

 to use in such quantity was one of the species of 

 Compositce known commonly as Everlastings. 

 These flowers have long been popular because 

 they retain their form and color more or less 

 clearly when dried, and thus make permanent 

 bouquets. In recent years, however, the abun- 



185 



