18 



The Florists' Review 



January 30, 191S. 



panying illustration shows the Valen- 

 tine's day corsage package used by 

 C. A, Samuelson, Chicago. 



PUSHING THE WORK ALONG. 



How the Individual May Aid. 



In these days when florists' clubs are 

 appointing publicity committees that, 

 for' the most part, find their task too 

 big for the time and resources avail- 

 able, it is worth while noting what the 

 individual can do. As an example, at 

 Wichita a florist has for months con- 

 ducted a column in a leading daily 

 paper. W. H. Gulp is the author. His 

 department is headed "The Home 

 Florist" and in it he gives weekly 

 hints on flowers and plants. He grinds 

 no axes. The matter is written with 

 the first object of interesting the public 

 — but anything that interests the pub- 

 lic in flowers is of value to the florists. 

 As a sample of his work the St. Val- 

 entine's day article is reprinted here: 



St. Valentine's Day. 



"St. Valentine probably deserved 

 the honor which belongs with the title 

 of Saint and quite possibly it was due 

 him long before it was bestowed, but 

 it may possibly compensate the good 

 saint to observe that the day set apart 

 as St. Valentine's has as wide, and 

 possibly wider, observance as that of 

 any other saint on the calendar. And 

 this, too, among the young and light- 

 hearted, to whom quite often one saint 

 looks much like all the others. 



"It is quite possible that because 

 Dan Cupid seems to have set himself 

 up as doorkeeper at the shrine of St. 

 Valentine, the luster of the good saint's 

 name is not allowed to grow dim. And 

 it is probable that many who visit his 

 shrine are satisfied to pay their re- 

 spects to the aforesaid Dan, believing 

 that they can do no better. And they 

 are probably right, for Dan is certainly 

 onto his job, and is one of those 

 lively chaps whom it is better to keep 

 busy with legitimate employment than 

 to have tearing around loose with noth- 

 ing much to do except get into mis- 

 chief. 



Flowers for Valentines. 



"As a valentine gift or offering, 

 flowers are always considered most 

 appropriate, and the daintily arranged 

 basket of choice flowers or the box of 

 flowers, nicely trimmed and tied with 

 ribbon and accompanied with the note 

 or card bearing an inscription appro- 

 priately expressing the sentiment of 

 the sender, has the air of personality 

 and individuality that can hardly be 

 said to go with the most elaborate 

 creation of celluloid and satin, which 

 in most instances owes whatever it 

 may claim in beauty to the fact that it 

 is designed and built in imitation of 

 flowers. 



"The use of any particular flower 

 for this day is not indicated so much as 

 quality of flowers, and daintiness of 

 arrangement. This element of dainti- 

 ness permits the use of many of the 

 smaller flowers like hyacinths, violets, 

 lily of the valley, jonquils, etc., along 

 with choice roses or carnations. 



Special Boxes or Hampers. 



"The box or hamper in which the 

 flowers are sent, can, with propriety, 

 come in for attention at this time, and 

 if something especially worth while is 

 wanted, it is well to let part of the 



A Red Heart-shaped Hamper G>ntainins[ an Old-fashioned Bouquet. 



price go for that item. The designs 

 available for this include heart-shaped 

 boxes and hampers; also the basket- 

 woven box hamper, as well as some 

 creations in birch bark, and the Porto 

 Rico mattings. Many of these have 

 an added value, inasmuch as the re- 

 ceptacle may be of practical use after- 

 wards as trinket or work baskets, 

 which is more than can be said of 

 many of the vehicles used by Mr. Cupid 

 in his trade. 



"For those who wish to avoid 'fussi- 

 ness' the plain box of flowers, or the 

 box with the flowers arranged to look 

 their best and apparently tied in the 

 box with a bow of appropriately col- 

 ored ribbon, will appeal most strongly 

 and is a deservedly popular valentine 

 gift. 

 '^ Valentine Decorations. 



"Most of the social functions taking 

 place during valentine week use the 

 valentine theme to a greater or less 

 degree, and quite generally in the 

 decorative scheme of the apartments 

 or dining table. This is usually indi- 

 cated by the use of the heart design 

 in some form or other. 



"Eed paper hearts are much used in 

 some cases, but as they are not prop- 

 erly a florist's material, I shall only 

 mention them where they will fit in 

 with some scheme properly belonging 

 to this department. 



"The floral heart for dining table 

 centerpiece with ribbons, usually red, 



running flat over the cloth between the 

 places to the edge of the table and 

 falling over edge of table and ending 

 in a bow from which may hang a real 

 heart, forms a very striking and satis- 

 factory arrangement. 



"Where a valentine shower is 

 wanted a receptacle of proper size made 

 of three or four floral hearts properly 

 hinged and fastened together at the 

 point, so that pulling a ribbon will 

 allow them to open and shower down 

 the contents, is a very nice arrange- 

 ment. This receptacle it is best to 

 order in advance of the florist, for it 

 takes some little 'know-how' to get 

 them up properly. 



For Personal Wear. 



"For ladies' corsage bouquets the 

 cluster of violets with holder and chif- 

 fon tie is correct, as is also lily of the 

 valley or hyacinths. 



"The heart-shaped corsage with much 

 chiffon and an almost shower effect 

 of little bows of baby ribbon is quite 

 the style, too. 



"Enchantress carnations and lily of 

 the valley with valley leaf chiffon 

 make a combination that is beautiful 

 and unique." 



Wilkinsburg, i»a.— The A. M. Downey 

 Co., a firm consisting of well-known 

 business men of this town, has opened 

 a flower store at 609 Hay street, in the 

 Colonial building. 



