THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



69 



only a bunch of flowers. The use of 

 palms, however, is getting to be al- 

 most overdone. At the most common- 

 place dance they want palms for the 

 stage. That is all right. And in the 

 house of mourning or the room where 

 the departed rests a few pa'.ms stood 

 around cannot be bad taste, but for 

 every grammar school commence- 

 ment, every political meeting, a few 

 palms are wanted, and the first thing 

 you know there will be a group of 

 palms in Sharkey and McCoy's corner. 

 Even this would be good taste above 

 that of giving a half dead six day 

 bicycle rider a basket of flowers, or 

 presenting Mike McSluggum with a 

 bouquet when he goes to bat. When 

 that occurs and I am in the grand 



add to the beauty of the home, the 

 church, the hall, and to the enjoy- 

 ment of all, but when shabby and 

 shoddy they are an abomination. There 

 is nothing so beautiful as a flower, and 

 it is more beautiful on the plant than 

 anywhere else. A faded flower can bs 

 cherished only for some sentiment and 

 is kept in the leaves of the book you 

 refer to when receiving a curtain lec- 

 ture from your second wife. 



You will expect me to say some- 

 thing about prices, but it is impossi- 

 ble. Seasons alter prices. There is, 

 ihoweveir, one thing w ( e should ob- 

 serve. The charge for loaning palms 

 in January should be double that in 

 June. You may think it all right to 

 cut down your neighbor's price on 



Copyright 1899 by H. P. Kelsey. 

 Galax Leaves. 



stand I am ashamed of my calling and 

 wish I was a walking delegate. 



The basket of flowers for M.ller and 

 the bouquet for Mike are always paid 

 for, and generally at a good price, but 

 there are scores of times when our 

 dozens of palms are not paid for. The 

 public seems to think the cost noth- 

 ing, nor the carting either. We must 

 close down on it. If they paid $3 or $4 

 for the loan of a dozen palms it would 

 stop them, and it would be just as well 

 if it did. The common use of these 

 ornamental plants will turn our 

 wealthier people against them. 



Decorations of any kind, plants or 

 flowers, great or little, when well done, 



palms and so get the job by a lower 

 figure. You will find it is not all 

 profit. Every time your palms go out 

 they are of less value, however well 

 you protect and guard them. 



One other thing. Get a reputation 

 for having clean, healthy, perfect 

 palms, and above all have a reputa- 

 tion for having the job done at the 

 hour you agree to. If the wedding is 

 at 6 p. m., say to the lady of the 

 house: "Madam, I will be out of your 

 house at 4 p. m., all cleared up, and 

 you will have no occasion to worry." 

 See that you keep your word and you 

 will feel as good as I do at finishing 

 this rather long chapter. 



DECORATIVE MATERIAL (WILD.) 



The great use of our wild or native 

 plants for decorations dates from 

 about twenty years ago and is ever on 

 the increase. An incentive to it was 

 the much greater obsarvance of Chri t- 

 mas day as a church festival and our 

 greatest and most joyous holiday. The 

 hundreds of car loads of holly used in 

 our northern cities today had a very 

 small beginning. It is just twenty 

 two years ago that a patron of mine, 

 a lovely woman, one of those who 

 make you glad you live and contented 

 with your lot, sent me a holly wreath 

 on Christmas eve. -She had brought it 

 from New York City, and thought it 

 would be a novelty and a pleasure to 

 me. It was both. It brought vividly 

 to mind the days of "auld lang syne" 

 and the mother country, which, how- 

 ever true and loyal is your allegiance 

 to your adopted country, must and 

 should forever remain a warm spot in 

 the heart of every man worthy of the 

 name. 



For a few years the use of holly in- 

 creased slowly, but for several years 

 past immense quantities have bsen 

 sent north, and it must grow in unlim- 

 ited areas to stand the annual drain of 

 our holiday wants. Most florists who 

 grow and retail have to handle these 

 native decorative materials, and how 

 to preserve them in good order is of 

 chief importance. 



Holly arrives from beginning to en I 

 of December. It is made into wreath- 

 ing, but much larger quantities are 

 used as sprays and branches. Holly 

 wreaths, either all holly, or ground 

 pine and holly, are made and sold in 

 enormous quantities. The large 

 wreaths of holly, two and three feet in 

 diameter, are handsome and look well 

 in large decorations. It should wheu 

 received be kept in the cases and they 

 should be stored in a cold shed, but 

 not where they will get zero weather. 

 When frozen so hard the berries drop 

 off when thawed out. Cool but not too 

 cold is right. I have never found a 

 better place for the wreaths when 

 made than a cold, dark cellar, but in 

 the absence of that a cold frame with 

 some coarse paper to lay them on, and 

 not more than three or four deep will 

 do, and cover the glass with mats or 

 boards to keep out the light and exces- 

 sive cold. You can't make these 

 wreaths all on Christmas eve, and 

 have to begin making up a week or 

 more ahead. 



Ground pine or lycopodium, which 

 Mr. and Mrs. Poor Lo and family 

 gather in the woods of Wisconsin, is 

 easily kept. It comes in crates and 

 should be always kept outside, but 

 covered with a cloth of some kind, or 

 the exposed parts quickly get browned. 

 It will keep a long time, fresh and 

 green in the crates or made Into 

 wreaths or wreathing, if kept cool and 

 dark; beneath a bench in a Cool house 

 or in the cold frame will do. When 

 we bring in the bundles to prepare for 

 making up, dip each bunch in water 

 for a minute or two; it will make It 



