Dbcbmbeb 24, 1908. 



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The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



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I THE RETAIL 



FLORIST 



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95 



WREATH OF GALAX. 



The accompanying illustration shows 

 an absolutely plain wreath made entirely 

 of galax leaves, yet a wreath that gives 

 abundant opportunity for artistic skill. 

 When properly executed, it conveys the 

 idea of mature age, and of victory. It 

 is one of the funeral designs by Charles 

 Henry Fox, Sign of the Eose, Philadel- 

 phia. Phil. 



A POTTERY CHRISTMAS. 



We have for some years been hearing 

 about "plant" holidays, but this is a 

 pottery Christmas. Baskets and hampers 

 have been so universally used in the last 

 few years that the leading retailers have 

 been looking about for something to 

 give variety and novelty. They have 

 found what they were after in the many 

 lines of fine pottery which have been 

 offered by the florists' supply houses and 

 by the high-class pottery works. 



Of course, a great many hampers and 

 baskets have been sold, but the tendency 

 has been toward pottery and some of 

 the leading stores have shown not only 

 more of this class of ware than ever be- 

 fore, but for the Christmas trade put in 

 stocks of it which a year or two ago 

 would have been thought wholly unwar- 

 ranted by the possible demand. The 

 pottery is of infinite variety and of qual- 

 ity in keeping with the character of the 

 stores — there is nothing too good for the 

 high-class retail trade. 



There is just one feature about the 

 sale of pottery in flower stores which is 

 not pleasing; pottery in the majority of 

 cases calls for small and not costly 

 plants. But it has the great advantage 

 that attractive combinations of lasting 

 character can be sold at moderate prices. 

 This assures the customers' satisfaction 

 and a large volume of business. 



CHRISTMAS YEARS AGO. 



[Reminiscences of B. Schroeter, related be- 

 fore the Detroit Florists' Club December 16, 

 1908.] 



My Christmas remembrance dates back 

 as far as the year 1873 — a long time, 

 thirty-five years. 



Since then the florists' business has 

 had several evolutions. The largest 

 commercial greenhouse establishment in 

 Detroit in my early days was that of 

 Hubbard & Davis, on the comer of Twen- 

 ty-fourth street and Fort street west, 

 where the plant of Mr. Taplin now 

 stands. Mr. Taplin was manager for 

 Hubbard & Davis at that time. 



New Year's the Day. 



la those days New Year 's business was 

 ahead of Christmas, but as time wore 

 on Christmas began to forge ahead until 

 the two days were about even. New 

 Year 's day was the great day for calling, 

 and, of course, the more well-to-do people 

 sent many flowers, or took them with 

 them on their caH^. I say many flowers 

 were used. We considered it many in 



those days, for flowers were then counted 

 by the twos and threes and not by the 

 dozen or hundred. It was not long be- 

 fore the calling became a nuisance to 

 about everyone but the florists and soon 

 the fad died out. This ended the New 

 Year's day business and Christmas be- 

 came the banner day. 



Stock Available. 



The few flowers at our disposal at that 

 time were poinsettias, double primroses, 

 camellias, bouvardia, Eoman hyacinths 

 and a few roses, such as Marechal Niel, 

 Lamarque and Gloire de Dijon, all run- 

 ning roses grown on the rafters. Few 

 carnations were to be had. In white we 

 had only De Graw. The only pink was 



The baskets themselves were made, of 

 wire and then painted white. The ordi- 

 nary Swiss moss baskets, such as are 

 still in use in small sizes, were also ob- 

 tainable in large sizes. Sheet moss, 

 which we ourselves gathered in the woods, 

 was placed in the basket and for a foun- 

 dation or background the whole plants 

 of lycopodium, which we grew under the 

 benches in the greenhouses, were used. 

 The flowers all had to be wired and 

 the wire stuck into the moss. Tooth- 

 picks were not known for florists' use in 

 those days. The baskets looked about 

 all alike. In the center a poinsettia 

 flower was stuck and around this were 

 several rows of some small flower, like 

 double primroses, and to set off the whole 

 and add a touch of beauty a camellia 

 was stuck right in the center of the 

 poinsettia. Perhaps you will not believe 

 it, but some of these baskets brought as 

 high as $6 to $8. No ribbon was used 

 ill any of our work. 



Green and Plants. 



Green was about as scarce as flowers. 

 We never thought of using the wild ferns, 

 of which so many millions are used now. 

 Neither did we have much smilax. The 

 most popular green was tradescantia, 



A Wreath of Galax. 



one known aa La Purite. Its shade was 

 similar to that of Lawson, but of course 

 the flower was much smaller. The^e 

 were also fuchsias, heliotropes, abutilon, 

 callas; in fact, anything that had any 

 resemblance to a flower was carefully 

 guarded, or, speaking in twentieth cen- 

 tury language, it was pickled until the 

 holidays. The term cut flowers was 

 hardly known in those days, few loose 

 flowers being sold; the long stems of 

 today were not available. 



Making Up Baskets. 



I used to make up quite a few bas- 

 kets, but not as they are made up now. 



wandering Je\* Eose geranium leaves, 

 rose leaves, or anything green we could 

 find in the greenhouse, were used. 



Christmas green was unheard of thir- 

 ty-five years ago. The first groun<l pine 

 I remember on sale in our city was shown 

 by h grocer named House, several yenrs 

 later than the period I am speaking 

 about. Holly and mistletoe came in still 

 later. 



There was hardly any sale for plants. 

 In blooming plants we had only prim- 

 roses. Poinsettias, heUotropes, etc., were 

 not grown in pots. Palms had not been 

 heard of and the few ferns sold were 

 Pteris tremula. 



