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Januaby 5, 1006. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



355 



Store of Seekins & Le Borious, Duluth, Minn., during Christmas. 



In the way of tools, have a pair of 

 good, strong shears that will cut wire, 

 picks, stems, etc., also ribbon scissors, 

 which you allow to be used for nothing 

 else but chiffon, tulle, cord, ribbon and 

 other fabrics. Then you will need a tack 

 hammer and some double pointed tacks, 

 and once in a while a screw eye. Use 

 tacks sparingly. It is scarcely ever nec- 

 essary to drive one on the face of wood- 

 work; instead set them on the top or 

 sides of the moulding. If the top is 

 too far away to attach a garland or spray 

 of green, drive a tack on top and run a 

 wire of the length needed, rather than 

 deface the woodwork. Thought about 

 these things may mean a little more 

 stretching and climbing, but it is much 

 T)etter for your reputation as a careful 

 worker. 



Include in the outfit a piper of com- 

 mon pins for fastening light garlands of 

 green or small clusters of flowers to cur- 

 tain, table clclhs, draperies, etc. Have 

 a small coil of No. 36 wire, also one of 

 No. 24. Sometimes you have use for 

 hemp twine. 



Among the first things called for will 

 be a screen to hide a company of musi- 

 cians. Be prepared for this with a few 

 rattan screens obtained from some flor- 

 ists' supply house. Cover them with wild 

 smilax or set a few tall palms in front 

 of them. These are also vseful for clos- 

 ing the entrance to a «.'Lairway, dining- 

 room, or shutting off an unsightly view. 

 They may even serve to good advantage 

 for a background for a reception or wed- 

 ding partv. 



When flowers must be set aside while 

 greens and plants are being arranged, 

 hav e s om e -flbei^ vases' at hand, a o 



A 1 - ■»- , 



Ttrat 



they mav be in water and appear at their 

 best when needed. Set the flowers in 

 t;hes? vases in some cool, retired corner, 

 5fLere they cannot be brushed against and 



where no draught of air can gtrike them. 



For store use, as well as in decorative 

 work, a strong cravenette apron is found 

 to be of much service. Being waterproof 

 is one of its virtues. Add to its con- 

 venience by stitching on a deep pocket, 

 which will hold shears, hammer and tacks, 

 and you can climb a ladder with your 

 hands full of your decorative material and 

 still have your tools at hand. Stitch off 

 a narrow section of one side of the pocket 

 for the tack hammer and it can be carried 

 head up, ready. 



Have a nobby leather bag or port- 

 folio to carry the outfit 5n. There should 

 also be room in this case for a pocket 

 tape measure. The latter is more useful 

 when taking the order and making the 

 estimate on the price of a decoration. 



It will be found easier to get up a 

 satisfactory decorative plan after seeing 

 the house, hall or church where it will 

 be placed. There you can see colors of 

 walls and their height, the amount of 

 space available, the location of windows, 

 stairways, doorways, the character of 

 permanent decorations, such as frescoing, 

 wood carving, draperies, etc.. as well as 

 make suggestions as to what other places 

 should be decorated. 



In any house where any pretentions are 

 made to florists' decorations, for a wed- 

 ding, for example, there are three places 

 which should always receive some noti^^- 

 able treatment. The first is some point 

 opposite the entrance, where the guest's 

 eye will rest first. The second is the place 

 where the ceremony or reception takes 

 place, and the third is the dining-room. 

 Secure some consideration for these three 

 places before suggesting a n y others. Then 

 whatever subordinate feaTures are intro- 

 duced should be made connectedly, both 

 in color and form, with the three princi- 

 pal points. 



But to return to the outfit question. 



Wire or basket center-pieces, round and 

 oblong, handle baskets of all sizes and 

 prices, some of which have round bot- 

 toms without stands, are nowadays a nec- 

 essary part of a florist's equipment. Per- 

 haps there is no one receptacle for flowers 

 for table decoration which is as deserved- 

 ly popular as a prettily filled basket. 



Another favorite decorative feature is 

 a galvanized mantel pan. Have several 

 of them of various sizes. Paint front 

 and two ends black or very dark olive 

 green. Fill with sphagnum moss, snugly 

 and stem clusters of wood ferns and make 

 as much like plants growing as your skill 

 will allow. These same pans may be 

 filled over and over again with any kind 

 of flowers, attractive foliage, or banked 

 full of plants. 



Upon having inquiries for flowers for a 

 table, ask whether they are for a dinner, 

 luncheon, reception or banquet table; 

 then get the size and shape of the table. 

 A dinner or luncheon table may be round, 

 square or long, and should be treated ac- 

 cordingly, as to shape of center-piece. A 

 banquet table is usually a long one or a 

 series of long ones. A reception table is 

 round or square, or nearly so, and will 

 take a high center-piece. The others 

 should be low. 



Do as much of the work for decorative 

 jobs at the store as possible. Fill baskets 

 and mantel pans with the sphagnum and 

 stem the flowers. Often these pieces 

 may be completed at the store. Also do 

 all counting, sorting and trimming be- 

 fore starting. 



It is a good practice to furnish all 

 your own equip iypnt, p.Trept a wnrTr tahla 

 and step ladder. These can be had at any 

 residence with little trouble. The less 

 waiting upon you require at such busy 

 times, the better will your skill be ac- 

 I counted. Gertrude Blair. 



