Title: The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade
Identifier: americanfloristw00amer (find matches)
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: American Florists Company
Subjects: Floriculture; Florists
Publisher: Chicago : American Florist Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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iSSy. The American Florist. 419 easel if to be used on the table, or tied together with stout grasses if carried on the arm. It is always filled with field flowers or wild bloom of some kind. The most chaste novelty of the season is the Marie Antoinette basket, which is woven of pliant willow, and hqs long, soft, loop handles. The basket is usually lined with cream-colored silk, and it is filled yrith moss rose buds. This is car- ried on the arm by girl graduates and bridesmaids instead of a bouquet. But one handle is trimmed, and that only halfway up. Ribbon to match the lining in color is braided up half way of the handle, which is outside when carried, and it is finished with a bow and ends. Floral favors for graduates at the early summer commencements are of the most expensive description. .\ music stand of flowers and foliage is made for a young lady, which is a highly finished piece. The racks are floral harps, with strings of bullion. Fans are decorated in many styles. The large Japanese straw fau with a light spray of blossoms across its center is favorite. Elaborate decorations are made in school-rooms and on stages for com- mencement exercises. Pianos are trim- med around the legs and music rack, and their tops are made veritable beds of blossoms. The pansy screens gotten up in such rich style by our florists are highly effective if placed on a piano. Dinner table decorations are exceed- ingly chaste, the most fashionable being those where mats of light fronds of adi- antunis, such as A. gracillimum or A. cuneatum, are laid out under glass bowls of flowers. The foliage mat should be formed of clusters of three fronds, the center one protruding farthest. A circle of these clusters give a pointed edge to the mat that is very graceful. Three mats for a dinner of twelve, or one in the the center for a dinner of si.K, is the rule. Glass bowls from three to four inches high are placed on the mat. They are first filljwi with foliage and water so tTie green litfes them and will show through. Then they are festooned with small flow- ers. Buttercups, daisies or orchids are plunged in the foliage filling. Favors are passed around on trays, for at this season they wilt at the plates. Very little foliage is put in these favors—none if they are buttercups—small clusters of the flowers being tied tight together. For young ladies' luncheon parties, low rush basket vases are used, filled with mignonette and moss rose buds. Small Marie Antoinette baskets lined with yellow and containing mignonette and one little cluster of moss buds at one side, are the favors. They are not placed at the plates, but presented when the re- past is over. Some inspiring pieces have been grown for Decoration day in the way of crosses, anchors and wreaths of large size of ivy. The inclination is to purchase plants for grave ornamentation rather than cut- flowers on Decoration day. Orders are numerous for decorating lots and graves, and large lots of tropical plants will be placed in lots that will be removed after- wards. Arches of this foliage will be made over graves on which some device in flowers will cover its entire length. That is the fashion this season, not to place designs of many shapes on the graves, but simply one—usually a cross of choice flowers or a large wreath. Other designs are placed around the lot. Fences are garlanded and hedges trim- med with chains of bloom. Excellent effects may be made with gladioli on graves, because they form fine
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KUTHViWUU ^nORL^\^\JVl edgings and make well defined devices. Those of delicate color are in consider- able demand for funeral work where rooms are trimmed. A pall of Faust pansies was made last week by McCon- nell which was as near black velvet as could be. It was the only piece of floral work exposed at the funeral excepting a large loose cluster of lilies that was laid on the casket by the wife. Anthurium Andreanum. -Among the 160 species of this interest- ing genus the subject of the accompany- ing engraving is by far the most showy. The singular structure, brilliant color and large size of the spathe contrasting with the yellow and white spadix, makes it the object of much admiration, and the longevity of the inflorescence greatly enhances its conmiercial value. Were the plants not of a somewhat coarse and straggling habit, it would become more popular than the better known Sherzeri- anum. .Although this species has been intro- duced about ten years, its cultural re- quirements do not seem to be generally understood. .An\- way, it can be seen doing well in but very few places, and I often hear complaints of its mifFy grow- ing. When properly treated, this species is a perfect weed in growth, and if the grower is restricted for room, the knife would have to be used to keep it within bounds. Its home is on the Andes of Colombia, about 3,000 feet above the sea, in a very warm and rainy district. It is here found in great abundance, in shady spots, growing on the ground, stumps, or trees equally well, a perfect thicket of undergrowth. If the grower will imitate these conditions as nearly as possible, he will find no difficulty whatever in grow- ing this fine species. Two parts of sphag- num moss to one part of peat will be found a good potting material. But the chief requirement is abundance of water and heat. When the pots are filled with roots, liquid manure will be found bene- ficial. When properly fertilized, seed is produced in abundance. As soon as ripe, these should be sown in chopped sphag- num, being covered about half an inch. In about two months the seedlings will be ready to be pricked off, or potted sepa- rately in thumb pots. We have at present about 200 plants coming in bloom, which are about eigh- teen months from seed. To make good specimens quickly it is better to put four to six seedlings about two inches apart in a pan, and let them grow together. In this way we have specimens more than four feet through, and as much in height, only five years from seed. The only in- sect pest of this species that I am aware of is red soider, and this can be avoided by constantly syringing overhead and under the leaves. F. G. Succession Crops in the Greenhouse. Whether the florist's business is carried on in a small way or ou the most ex- tensive scale, to make it profitable it is essential to have greenhouse benches filled as often as practicable with suc- cessiou crops; simply taking one crop off the benches will result in very meager profits indeed at the present rate of

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