The Weekly Florists' Review. 



jANOAHt d, 1908. 



of the ordinary. For the last few sea- 

 sons" the so-called Oregon grape, or 

 Mahonia Aquifolium, has been largely 

 used in funeral designs, either as a solid 

 mass or for trimming, in place of smi- 

 lax or some other green. This beauti- 

 ful shrub attains its best condition after 

 it has been touched by the frost and 

 its color changes to a rich, glossy brown 

 and green. It is very graceful and is 

 easy to handle. It is very lasting and 

 makes a beautiful desig^n when worked 

 in this way. A few minutes will suffice 

 to make a large design and^t has helped 

 many a florist to cover up a good quan- 

 tity of moss when flowers were very 

 scarce. It has to a great extent taken 

 the place of galas leaves in California 

 and is a much more durable and graceful 

 article. 



Galax leaves are apparently not used 

 as much this seasoii as formerly, but 

 they are yet much in evidence, espe- 

 cially in the cheaper classes of work. 

 Green ivy leaves have been practically 

 superseded by them, as they are easier 

 to keep on hand in a good condition and 

 are a much more glossy color. 



Laurel leaves are occasionally seen. 

 The variety used is the well-known 

 Laurus cerasus. Magnolia grandiflora 

 leaves are used sometimes in the same 

 way, . but not to any great extent. 

 Wreaths of wild huckleberry are made 

 sometimes, but it is a rather stiff propo- 

 sition to break up to advantage and 

 much of it has to be wasted before a 

 sufficient quantity can be had to pro- 

 vide graceful stems. 



Maidenhair wreaths are still much 

 used. Either solid or with a bunch of 

 carnations on the side, they make a beau- 

 tiful design. The finer sorts of maiden- 

 hair can be used to advantage, but they 

 are not good keepers and are only of 

 value for immediate effect. 



There has been quite a run on violet 

 designs. The Princess of Wales is the 

 only variety used, and for a great por- 

 tion of the season it is by far the cheap- 

 est article in the cut flower line for the 

 florist to use. With a sprinkling of ferns 

 and violet leaves a very acceptable de- 

 sign can be made at a very slight cost. 



Orchids in combination with ferns 

 and asparagus make very acceptable 

 high-class wreaths, but unfortunately 

 our supply of orchid blooms is very short 

 on the Pacific coast and all the dealers 



complain that they are afraid to recom- 

 mend them very highly to their custom- 

 ers, as the chances are not always good 

 of being able to secure the stock after it 

 has been ordered. 



The Pacific coast is young yet in the 

 flower growing industries, and probably 

 before many years there will be enough 

 orchids and other expensive stock grown 

 to supply the demand. Q. 



ARTISTIC ARRANGEMENTS. 



Hampers of Flowering Plants. 



The accompanying illustration is from 

 a photograph of a rough wicker hamper 

 filled with flowering plants by Charjes 

 Henry Fox, at the Sign of the Eose, 

 Philadelphia. The hamper is filled with 



J. E. Jensen. 



daisies, hydrangeas, genistas, pansics 

 and daffodils, a variety of color most 

 pleasing in the early springtime. 



J. E. JENSEN. 



If there is any officer of a trade or- 

 ganization as important as the president 

 it is the financial secretary, for, while 



A Hamper of Spring Flowers. 



the interest taken in the society's affairs 

 is largely dependent upon the personal- 

 ity of the leader in the chair, the man 

 who collects the coin is the one who pro- 

 vides the means of club activity; his 

 tact has much to do with the mainte- 

 nance of the membership list among 

 those who do not attend the meetings. 



J. E. Jensen will be the next financial 

 secretary of the Chicago Florists' Club. 

 He is popular and widely known in the 

 trade and his selection for this important 

 office was a happy choice of the nomi- 

 nating committee. Mr. Jensen was born 

 in Viborg, Denmark, August 23, 1878. 

 At 14 he entered upon a four years ' 

 apprenticeship embracing all branches of 

 horticulture, after which he started out 

 to see a little of the world. After a 

 short experience in Germany he landed 

 in London and spent a few months each 

 in a number of the leading establish- 

 ments, arriving at New York March 17, 

 1899. His first employment in this coun- 

 try was with Hugo Book, Worcester, 

 Mass. 



After a brief time he decided to make 

 carnation growing a specialty, and se- 

 cured a position with Peter Fisher, Ellis, 

 Mass., where he remained for nearly two 

 years and a half, making such good prog- 

 ress in the art that the last year and a 

 half was spent in the capacity of fore- 

 man. This was at the time Enchantress 

 was disseminated, and Mr. Jensen went 

 west to enter the employ of the Thomp- 

 son Carnation Co., Joliet, of which es- 

 tablishment he was in full charge for 

 almost three years, leaving there Febru- 

 ary 1, 1905. After a trip to the Pa- 

 cific coast Mr. Jensen formed his present 

 partnership with J. S. Dekema, as Jen- 

 sen & Dekema, growing carnations exclu- 

 sively. Mr. Dekema has been on the 

 Pacific coast for his health for some 

 months, so that the whole responsibility 

 for the firm's success rests with Mr. Jen-' 

 sen. He is a member of the American 

 Carnation Society, the Society of Amer- 

 ican Florists, is a Mason and an Elk. 



MARGUERITES FOR EASTER. 



Can Queen Alexandra daisies, which 

 are in 2^ -inch or 3-inch pots now, be had 

 in bloom for Easter, say in 5-inch or 

 6-inch potst H. C. O. 



Queen Alexandra marguerites, if shift- 

 ed into 5-inch pots now, grown along 

 carefully and given a further shift into 

 7-inch pots later, will make excellent 

 plants and be in good season for Easter. 

 These can be grown in a comparatively 

 cool house. A temperature of 45 to 50 

 degrees at night is sufficient. C. W. 



NAME OF BEGONIA. 



I send by this mail leaves of a begonia 

 for name. It has pink flowers and 

 grows twelve to eighteen inches high. I 

 think it is a scarce variety. Is it a good 

 or valuable commercial variety! 



S. J. G. 



As nearly as I can tell, the leaves are 

 those of Begonia Gloire de Sceaux, a 

 rather scarce variety in America. It is 

 well spoken of as a winter bloomer in 

 Europe and promises to become a useful 

 commercial sort here. I do not believe it 

 will compare with B. Gloire de Lorraine 

 or even B. incarnata as a Christmas va- 

 riety, as its blo'oming period is a little 

 later; still, it is well worthy of a good 

 trial. C. W. 



