NOVBMBBB 10, 1921 



The Florists^ Revkw 



23 



Vie^v Presented to Those Entering the Remodeled Idlewild Store at Memphis. 



plants may cause decay. Frequent 

 drenching of the floor and other sur- 

 faces will aid in maintaining the needed 

 atmospheric moisture. Many growers 

 place troughs on the heating pipes, for 

 the evaporation of water. Sometimes 

 the plants are suspended over tanks of 

 slightly warmed water. 



Though the plants should not be ex- 

 posed to direct drafts, yet there should 

 be no lack of fresh air. An excessively 

 close, moist atmosphere is liable to pro- 

 duce large, soft foliage and small spikes 

 of flowers. 



Occasional sponging of the leaves 

 with clean, tepid water aids greatly in 

 keeping the plants free from red spider 

 and thrips. If there appears to be im- 

 mediate danger from these pests, how- 

 ever, the sponging may be done with 

 weak tobacco water, or a light weekly 

 spray of nicotine extract will be safe 

 and effective. Heavy fumigation might 

 be seriously harmful. 



Favorite Species. 



Some of the most widely known and 

 most popular species of phalanopsis are: 

 P. Schilleriana, with handsome, mottled 

 leaves and much-branched sprays of 

 rich, rosy lilac flowers; P. aniabilis, or 

 grandiflora, and its improved form, 

 Rimestadtiana, with green leaves and 

 large, handsome, pure white flowers, and 

 P. Stuartiana, bearing white flowers 

 speckled with red and purple. 



Additional varieties met with in 

 American collections include P. Lued- 

 demanniana, P. Lowii, P. violacea, P. 

 intermedia and P. Esmeralda, all of 

 which are beautiful, but not so valuable 

 comniercially as the other sorts named. 



Practical Use of Phalaenopsis. 



As to the practical, commercial pur- 

 poses for which the phala^nopsis and 

 other spray orchids are suitable, the de- 

 mand for them is generally restricted, of 

 course, to stores that have a wealthy 

 and generous class of patrons. Edward 



Mallinson, manager of the store of the 

 Fleischman Floral Co., at 84 East Jack- 

 son boulevard, Chicago, handles consid- 

 erable quantities of phalaenopsis sprays, 

 though he states that they would be a 

 more salable commodity, a "better com- 

 mercial proposition," if they could 

 usually be obtained when most needed. 

 The popular varieties of phalaenopsis, 

 he says, are too likely to be in most 

 prolific bloom during Lent, when ultra- 

 fashionable affairs, requiring such cost- 

 ly flowers as orchids, are least likely to 

 occur. In that one particular, season- 

 ablencss and availability of the blooms, 

 he considers oncidiums preferable. 



The Gem and Its Seitting. 



Mr. Mallinson says it is diflScult to 

 offer definite suggestions about the 

 proper use of the phalaenopsis in sprays, 

 designs and other work, for the simple 

 reason that the phalaenopsis is so gen- 

 erally, widely adaptable that the num- 

 ber of its uses is limited only by its 

 expensiveness. The flowers have such 

 beauty of form and color, and have a 

 natural curve of stem so exquisitely 

 graceful, so exactly right for the best 

 effect, that they are the ideal finishing 

 touch in innumerable situations. Al- 

 ways, however, the orchids should be 

 treated as really the finishing touch, the 

 dominant feature, the floral gem for 

 which the other flowers serve principally 

 as the setting. Yet the flowers that 

 form the setting, though cheap as com- 

 pared with the orchids, should not be so 

 manifestly cheap as to impart an ap- 

 pearance of cheapness to the entire de- 

 sign. The setting of the orchids, like 

 tlic setting of a valuable jewel, should 

 not suggest tawdriness, but should be 

 fairly, appropriately rich, as well as 

 harmonious. Of course, supremely 

 handsome sprays and other pieces may 

 "be made entirely of orchids, if the cus- 

 tomer wishes — and if his wishes con- 

 form to his pocketbook. 



Mr. Mallinson occasionally takes 



what might be called a good sportsman's 

 chance by displaying a few orchids 

 prominently in the windows, eveu 

 though he may have no well founded 

 hope of selling them at a remunerative 

 price. He believes that such advertis- 

 ing is profitable in such a locality as his, 

 in spite of the costliness of the flowers. 



THE MARCH OF PBOGRESS. 



Large numbers of retail florists of the 

 old school are planning to modernize 

 their stores "as soon as the clouds roll 

 by, ' ' appreciating that new and up-to- 

 date stores, which are springing up like 

 mushrooms on a May morning, will get 

 the business if the old-timers don't 

 watch out. Such as have this thought 

 in mind will be interested in the trans- 

 formation wrought by W. H. Englehart, 

 of the Idlewild Greenhouses, -in his Mem- 

 phis store, shown in the accompanying 

 illustrations. 



Beginning the work of remodeling by 

 increasing the depth of the store, the 

 partition was moved backward to pro- 

 vide the necessary space for increasing 

 sales and improved display. The fix- 

 tures were refinished or replaced and the 

 interior walls so completely redecorated 

 as to present an entirely changed ap- 

 pearance. The color scheme in this store 

 is novel and effective. The walls are 

 done in a soft tone of pink and the fix- 

 tures are in ebony trimmed with gold. 



As soon as the remodeled store was 

 ready for the public the volume of busi- 

 ness began to show the good effect of the 

 improvement. 



Saginaw, Mich. — The regular monthly 

 meeting of the Saginaw-Bay City Flori- 

 cultiiral Society was comhiiu'd with 

 the annual competitive chrysanthemum 

 show, of the large-flowering and pompon 

 varieties of chryanthemuins, held 

 at Orolimau the Florist's store, Sagi- 

 naw, Monday evening, November 7. 



