■»'»WWW(|l(|l»ll^"r9^^l'?» 



APBlt 11, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



J 595 



ffj» UJw.UH,Uik WJwwl^^w . «^ <»^ »^^*^H^yiwvyw.>»^<<^< < ^>^^^*^^^^<*^ 



t 



THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



S>^A>'LAHJ^^Mr»>Hrf^i«^Hfe^^M^i^*N't<^^t<^ 



FUNERAL WORK. 



Measuring for Frames. 



After receiving an order for a funeral 

 design the first step is to procure the 

 frame on which to make it. Much con- 

 tusion is caused by not understanding 

 ihe points of measurement as used by 

 wire-men, and before going into details 

 in regard to making up work let us run 

 over the following standard table of 

 Tiieasurements as put down by a large 

 )nanufacturer of wire work: 



Pillows, from corner "to corner across 

 the top. 



Harp, lyre, cross, anchor, star and 

 crescent, from top to bottom of the 

 frame. 



Square and compass, across outer cor- 

 ners of the square. 



Star, distance from the center of the 

 star tt) a point, multiplied by two. 



Heart, top of the heart to the lower 

 point. 



Wreath, wheel, etc., outside diameter. 



Scroll, lengthwise down the side. 



Sickle, end to end. 



(Jates ajar, top point to the bottom 

 of the base. 



Odd fellows' links, end to end. 



Bells, across the bottom. 



In ordering a design on a base, just 

 mention the name and size of the frame 

 desired and add that the same is to be 

 on a stand or base. For instance, if 

 a 24-inch lyre is wanted on a base, just 

 say, "Twenty-four-inch lyre on base." 

 The base is not included. When order- 

 ing a frame for some odd design, al- 

 ways allow for the space the flowers 

 will occupy, so that the finished design 

 will be rightly proportioned. 



Filling; the Frame With Moss. 



When you have the frame, the next 

 stop is filling it with moss to hold the 

 flowers. Sphagnum moss is the best for 

 111 is purpose. As a suitable receptacle 

 in winch to keep the moss, secure a 

 strong box about 24x36 inches. This 

 will just hold a bale of sphagnum after 

 it has been worked over, that is, torn 

 up well, and moistened so it can be 

 worked well into the corners of the 

 frame and will stay where put until tied 

 into place. 



Before filling the frame the back must 

 lie covered with tinfoil to hold the moss. 

 Place the foil underneath the frame and 

 l)end about one-half inch over the sides 

 to keep it in place. For common work 

 the plain tinfoil is good enough, but 

 for the better grade of work, or more 

 expensive designs green foil is recom- 

 mended, as it improves the appearance 

 <'f a design fully twenty-five per cent. 

 On elaborate wreaths the back should 

 be covered with common ferns or galax 

 leaves fastened over the foil. 



Some florists use ferns extensively in- 

 stead of foil. These look well provid- 

 ing enough are used. But one objection 

 is that the frame is exposed and the 

 ferns soon wither and shrivel up, show- 



ing the moss and giving your design a 

 cheap appearance. 



There are probably as many ways to 

 fill a frame with moss as there are of 

 skinning a cat, but all amount to the 

 same in the end. I have always found it 

 handy and quick to first fill the frame 

 with about as much nicely torn up moss 

 as will bring it to the desired thickness 

 after tying. See that all the corners are 

 • nicely filled. "Work from right to left, 

 pushing the moss into place with the left 

 hand and winding the green thread 

 around the frame with the right hand. 

 Draw the string just tightly enough so 

 that a toothpick can be stuck into the 

 moss with the fingers, and stay in posi- 

 tion. After the frame is filled with moss 

 trim nicely with the shears. 



For ordinary use have the moss about 

 even with the top of the frame, not two 

 or three inches deep, as this only uses 

 up flowers and, if anything, detracts 

 from the appearance of the finished de- 

 sign. Of course, for wreaths or other 



or lyre design it adds much to the gen- 

 eral appearance to have many strings 

 close together. 



After the frame has been mossed, the 

 next step is to cover this well with com- 

 mon ferns, so that when the flowers be- 

 come wilted the moss does not show 

 through. Lay ferns over the design and 

 fasten with a few hairpin-shaped wires. 

 Run a piece of light smilax around the 

 edge of the design to give it a finished 

 appearance. 



I speak of finishing around the edge 

 with smilax. Many florists leave the 

 common ferns projecting over the edge 

 of the design to serve as a finish, but 

 the ferns wilt before the flowers and 

 then look bad. 



Ready for the Flowers. 



Your pillow is now ready for the flow- 

 ers. In pillows, as well as in nearly all 

 design work, first run around the edge 

 of the design with some small flowers 

 for edging, such as Eoman hyacinths 

 stemmed on toothpicks. Pinch the hya- 

 cinth off halfway along the flower, then 

 pinch off the balance of the flower and 

 stem the two pieces together. This saves 

 flowers and at the same time they do not 

 fall out of place when withered. Of 

 course, you can get along without a small 

 flower for edging, but by all means work 

 out those parts of your design first that 

 give it its shape. Then lay out the place 

 for the lettering, making a background 

 for same with some suitable white flow- 

 ers, as carnations, chrysanthemums, or 



Pillow with a Portion Not Yet Filled In. 



pieces wliore flowers are to be arranged 

 loosely it is necessary to have the moss 

 several inches deep, so as to hold the 

 flowers well in place. A little good judg- 

 ment will come in handy here. In 

 pillows, the corners are filled first ; then 

 the center is filled in. Give the pillow 

 a nice, rounding shape. 



0>verins; Bare Places. 



One of the many uses to which che- 

 nille is so well adapted is for covering 

 the strings on floral designs; mostly 

 harps, lyres, etc. At times the wire 

 strings of a design are just bronzed, 

 but this looks cheap, in my estimation. 

 Different colors of chenille can be used. 

 Pink is appropriate for a young person, 

 white for old people. On a large harp 



asters; but not those with yellow cen- 

 ters. Use as few cape flowers in your 

 work as possible, for people want fresh 

 flowers. When the lettering is to run 

 from one corner of the pillow to the 

 other, always commence at the lower left- 

 hand corner and run to the upper right. 

 Carnations, chrysanthemums or asters 

 should be cut short for this purpose, and 

 a toothpick stuck into the calyx of the 

 carnation. In the two latter leave about 

 one-quarter of an inch of the stem on 

 the flower to hold the toothpick. If the 

 stem is cut off right at the flower the 

 pick will not hold well. 



"When fastening the lettering on al- 

 ways fasten the middle letter of t\w. 

 word or sentence first and then work 

 each way. By following this rule you 



