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1326 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



NOVBMBBE 2, 1905. 



6-inch or 7-inch, according to the 

 strength of the plant. The compost 

 should be the same as that previously 

 used and a 4-inch pot of bone meal 

 added to each bushel of the compost. 

 Drain well and pot firmly. Gradually 

 increase the temperature till it reaches 

 60 degrees at night, with a day tempera- 

 ture of 75 degrees during bright 

 weather. 



These plants are greatly benefited by 

 an application of liquid manure during 

 the growing season, especially during the 

 period of bud formation, and until the 

 buds show color, when it should be dis- 

 continued. Keep the plants clean and 

 do not let green -fly get a hold, as they 

 are very destructive to this class of 

 plants, and do not let them suffer for 

 want of water. Bibes. 



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THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



A LARGE LUNCHEONiTABLE. 



In answer to an inquiry for a decora- 

 tive scheme for a large round luncheon 

 table for a musical society, the follow- 

 ing might be suggested: 



Although the decoration must be high, 

 it need not necessarily be dense nor 

 heavy, but light enough to admit of at 

 least a partial view across the table. If 

 chrysanthemums, cosmos or carnations 

 can be used, make a large ball of a solid 

 color, or a number of colors shaded 

 gradually one into the other, and suspend 

 from an overhanging chandelier, if such 

 is found over the table. If not, erect a 

 tripod of heavy gilded wire in the center 

 of the table, and suspend the ball from 

 the inside, at a convenient distance above 

 the table. At the base of each of the 

 three wires of the tripod set a small 

 plaque filled with fairly long-stemmed 

 flowers and green to correspond with the 

 flowers used in the ball. If the ball can 

 be suspended from a chandelier, start 

 delicate strands of asparagus or smilax 

 from a point over the ball to each place, 

 and trace a tiny lyre with the smilax 

 sprays where each strand terminates. The 

 ball might also be made of violets, if 

 expense is not too great and the small 

 lyres traced by a single line of violet 

 flowers cut short and laid on the cloth 

 inside of each place. 



If a vase arrangement is preferred, 

 have a very large, tall vase in the center, 

 with a circle of small vases about it, one 

 at each place. Two or three or half a 

 dozen flowers, as the case requires, might 

 be placed in each small vase, the color 

 and kind of flowers corresponding with 

 the center bouquet. Connect each vase 

 in the outside circle with the large vase 

 in the center by sprays of green not 

 drawn very tight, but decidedly enough 

 to show the idea. 



A more rustic effect would be a loose, 

 large group of chrysanthemums, autumn 

 leaves and cosmos in a very large jar- 

 diniere or a number of jardinieres 

 grouped together, the outside hidden 

 with fern leaves or banked up with sheet 

 moss. Around the outside stretch an 

 enclosure of gilded wire netting close 

 around the group of jardinieres so that 

 the flowers and foliage may hang out- 

 wards over the edge of the wire, like ap- 

 ple boughs over t^ orchard fence. Scat- 

 ter flowers and ferns carelessly about 

 the table outside of this centerpiece. 



Here is a seasonable design: Select 

 a large number of very long-stemmed 

 clirysanthemums. Spread out the lower 

 ends of the stems to resemble the frame 

 worit of a wigwam. Bring the heads to- 



gether at the top and tie with wire. 

 Afterwards make a number of rosettes 

 of satin ribbon with one streamer to 

 each rosette. Fasten these rosettes 

 closely enough around the wire to make 

 a continuous row around under the 

 chrysanthemum flowers. The ribbon ends 

 will fall and may be fastened on the 

 table to form the covering of the wig- 

 wam in between the stems. Carve out 

 pumpkins to resemble handle baskets 

 and fill with chrysanthemums or cosmos 

 like baskets. Place these at convenient 

 intervals around the table in a circle 

 around the wigwam. 



A more elaborate piece might be con- 

 structed as follows: Bank up a mass 

 of sphagnum high in the center of the 

 table. Protect the table with a pan of 

 some kind to keep dampness off the 

 table. Cover the sphagnum bank with 

 ferns or sheet moss to represent a hill. 

 Around the base of the hill set in four 

 or six pans of water. Line the pans 

 vdth gravel or moss and cover the edges 

 with moss. Place a few gold fish in each 

 pan, and fiJl up the spaces between the 

 pans with small ferns or cut flowers in 

 concealed vases. On the edge of the 

 pans in several places lay small birch 

 bark canoes with a few flowers or ferns 

 lying loosely over the sides. 



One more wiU complete our list: Hang 

 a large basket of flowers and ferns from 

 a tripod as described above. Fill small 

 baskets with flowers to correspond with 

 the center one, and place in front of 

 each place, and connect each small bas- 

 ket with the center by a spray of green 

 or a band of ribbon. 



In any case extra care should be 

 taken to protect the table and the cover, 

 if a cover is used. After such a table is 

 set, it is a nice job to place the decojra- 

 tions without displacing the silver or 

 soiling the linen. The more dexterous 

 we can become in this respect, the bet- 

 ter it will be for our reputation, for all 

 too often the careless decorator brings 

 the business into disfavor with patrons 

 and caterers by making extra cleaning 

 necessary at the last minute. This is not 

 a case where a "carpenter is known by 

 his chips." Gertrude Blair. 



CARNATION NOTES.-WEST. 



Heat, Water and Air. 



Now that you have your carnation sup- 

 ports in place, the beds all mulched and 

 everything in trim condition, the heaviest 

 part of the season 's work is done. Hence- 

 forth your time and attention will be 

 taken up with the more pleasant but 

 equally important work of keeping the 

 plants in good health, by giving them 

 the right amount of water, air and heat. 

 These three the plants must have and 

 on the amount of one of these the plants 

 get will largely depend the quantity re- 

 quired of the other two. As we can 

 easily regulate the water supply and the 

 ventilation, we must gauge oursleves al- 

 most entirely by the amount of sunlight 

 and sun heat we get, over which we have 

 not the least control. When there is lots 

 of sunlight the plants want plenty of 

 water and plenty of fresh air, but when 

 the sun hides its face the plants 'grow 

 slower, evaporation is slower and less 

 water is needed. Fresh air is always 

 beneficial. 



As I said before, you cannot control 

 the sunlight; neither can you produce a 

 substitute. True, you can fire up and 

 keep the temperature up to just where 

 the carnation likes it, but it will not 

 have the same effect on the plants as 

 the same amount of heat produced by 

 the sun. Tou can hang strong artificial 

 lights in your houses, but their effect 



will not be the same as sunlight. Our 

 scientists haVe not as yet been able to 

 produce a substitute for sunlight. When 

 that is accomplished flowers will become 

 cheaper. 



Out in the open these same things pro- 

 duce the weather, and each must be con- 

 sidered, but inside the greenhouse we 

 regulate the supply of eswh, except the 

 sun, and as we cannot regulate it, we 

 must allow it to regulate us. Bear this 

 in mind later on, when the days are 

 cloudy and your buds refuse to open as 

 rapidly as you would like them to. You 

 can force them out faster by firing a 

 little stronger, but only at the expense 

 of your plants; whereas, the sun will do 

 the same thing for you and improve the 

 plants in health as well. 



How much more valuable an experi- 

 enced florist would be for a fireman dur- 

 ing these nights, when fire heat is really 

 needed only part of the time. To try to 

 explain all these flner points to a green 

 hand is like showing him a Chinese puz- 

 zle. He has all he can do to run the 

 fire and to remember all the valves, etc., 

 and so you must help him out on the 

 other points. Have some experienced 

 man handy so he can be called upon 

 for advice when necessary, as experi- 

 ence counts for everything when trouble 

 comes, and trouble does put in its ap- 

 pearance occasionally on the best regu- 

 lated places. 



There will be many nights in the next 

 few weeks when you will have to run 

 steam around and keep the ventilators 



