The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-08

| = eaunter Aaoaa vSostses aa1 Floral Gyp-
sies-(sardens anA Hos.Houses Relatively
Considered-The Clty's Supply Of CamiIias.
Roses, Tuberoses and vIoIets-Consumption
| of theses Sta pies DaiIy-B0uQuets and the
| Drama.
Horticulture in this country is OF origin compare
lively recent. As late az 1850 demand for bou-
quets, wreaths, garlands and the like was limited,
and flowers were OF exceedingly high price.
There were but few gardens In the
county north, and these, with the addition
OF few lighthouses, supplied the market. or
course, flowers ranged at prices az which customers
would stare nowadays; but then the democratic
days Of the business had not In and bouquets
constituted aristocratic luxury within the
Of very few. For ten years there has gradual
shifting OF Horticulture from New YORK TO Jersey.
There yet few gardens In the Old North county,
| Long Island has entered the market to limited
| tent and few lighthouses supply a limited pro-
duction OF exotics and flowers for winter
manufacture. On the NORTH however, the bust
| ness has developed very triningly for ten years
| Long Island. again has not progressed with the
rapdity that might be supposed at first glance; and,
| as to the matter OF dollhouse production the de-
| mand being limited on account OF expenslveness
has fallen or OF the two, especially in the summer
| market
The great flower garden OF New York s, In fact
| located In the vicinity of Hoboken. Hoboken West
Hoboken ana Union Hill produce more largely than
ali the remaining environ villages and suburbs OF
| New York put together, and from these
sources the market Is mostly supplied. The
half hundred flower girls along Broad
| way-open air iorists-itinerant aora g. psies
| supply their stands from Union Hl and the larger
part OF the supply OF the heavier and stationary
florists Is from the same source or the former, pos
| up Broadway from the Astor House to Thirtieth
street. few frequent other thorougniares,
as, for instance. Fulton street and Cort-
lnndt street, and a few itlnerate, that Ii, fire.
quent all thoroughareS alike, and are stationary no
where A distinction may be well made here.
Ordinarily your floral gypsy occupies given cor
ner for the whole season. A little glass case In
which to keep flowers set upon crossiegged
camp stool, answers for a place of busl-
ness with the majority. the whole stock
consisting of from thirty to fifty bouquets
latter '' being considered very expensive ana
risky; the former very salable and proper have
on hand. Five cents wll buy a very pretty orna-
nent for one'sbuttonhole and for one or two cents
even, If you happen to be OF economical mood, you
may supply your buttonllole with something anaa-
gous to bouquet. Fifty cents is the maximum on
| the street; twenty-five cents buys bouquet
large enough for all practical purposes, and
even the ten cent ones are 0tentimes very pretty
oftentmes, In fact prettIcr than the more expensive
ones, beng put together with more tase. Ordina-
rily these bohemian florists average IRON five to
seven dollars day in the way Of rough sales, max
ing their own bouquets at night from materials cost
| ing perhaps three dollars.
| IL may as well be remarked en- PEASANT that the
glass case is not Indispensable, though more gene
raj. On the Olner manu. lew anu Veuu Their
wares in ordinary baskets, with less regard to
, | advantages OF exhibition than the glass case
affords ,,s glass case Is however one
| who is never considered fully established
in business, so long as the vending is done IRON an
| ordinary basket. The great demand on the wares
| OF these people is for buttOnhoe ornaments, from
{ clerks, statesmen, work girls and people of
small income in every ranincation OF maDufac..
e il always have ihelr. bouquets manufactured
buy from a window even II one exactly what
he wants already made up. TIE aristocratic Is
to have the article made up and sent home;
would loose caste In the estimation OF regular
florist who should buy ready made bouquet, even
though 1t was exactly suited to the purpose.
The florist classes bouquets into two classes for
purposes OF trade viz, hand bouquets and baskets.
uG the former, good stock, manufactured to order,
range from IS 70 $40; though extra large may cost
as high as s25 or $3o The stock PRICE OF baskets
this season is from $lS to SIS They are afforded
: quently, or at least semi-occasionay, as
4 high as 500 to $3.50 The most ex-
| florist in this city, was valued at $500; but s40O
baskets are 'aT9 oces, indeed. The general mate
e rails are always about the same, the amount OF
selcctness OF the materials used governing the price,
Roses tuDeroses, vioets and camelias constitute the
basis Of the stock. Add q few heiatropes few
sprlgs OF mignonette and few daisies; add
, | also few sprigs OF evergreen by way OF
+ florist is compleIe. or course baskets must
: | not be omitted, being used by the hundred. The
most delicate baskets used In the manufacture are
imported, though the larger proportion especially
| OF the coarser Kind, are produced nj single up
town mandatory, owned and carried on by
German artisan. or course, too one must include
In the repertoire wreath-patterns, star-patterns,
patterns for garlands and all things OF that sort.
Swiss boxes, which used to constitute third cate
| CORY IN the trade, not fashionable now, aud
never had great run, being unwieldy, though ele-
CANT In their way and often very antique LOOKING
or the four great staples roses the most eypen-
sive; cameias rank next, tuberoses next, anu vio
let's last. For the winter manufacture most OF the
elias are supplied from Philadelphia and, during this
season, they not unlrequently range high seven
ty-dve cents a hundred, that Is seventy-Bve hun
dredths OF cents piece; though for the OF the
year one-thlrd that range Is reckOned good price
still, and tuJeroses observe almost the same range
Rare tints OF the cornelia are often sold sngly
hign as twents cents but generally fifteen GEMS IL
the stock figure volets ordinarily cost the manu-
factnrer fifty cents hundred after the begin
ming OF April, but along In tue winter two dol
| lars hundred Is frequently demanded aud
given. This, OF course Tor dollhouse productions
The general system of the dorist to bargain with
some gardener for the delivery OF 40 many hundreds
of either staple daily the year round. though one or
two OF the larger houses have gardens OF their
and RAISE their own stock
An eminent stat stcian in the trade estimates the
consumption OF the four staples the year round at
Iuoeroses..'. 4ouOo
Sameilas' .'.'.''.'''..'.'..'.... 59OOo
The winter season from October to April, is the
most remuneratIve and busy season of the regular
florist From June 10 september and october Is the
of itlnerants IN the trade. The three great
sources OF demand are weddings, funerals ana the
theatres the demand OF the latter since the days of
the "B.ack Crook drama having been very heavy,
and having riped over that occasoned by the iagi-
innate drama. tinerants are not permitted within
the theatres, though they may sell ON the walk near
| by. In fact, as rule, some one leading
florist has monopoly OF some theatre
| him. and sends small regiment or bows or girl,
nightly 10 sell ON commission. The consequence il
that bouquets within generally very expensive
iuxurles. Seventy-dve cents is often demanded
for articles that on the walk would cost tw enty
and fifty cents is minimum only descended TO
| when IL is about time for the curtain
10 come down. I've reasons are OBJ
viOus. First the orist pays something for the PRIV
ege OF the THEATRE and has his own profit 10 make.
| Secondly, the peders must be paid, either at a
stipulated salary. or IN the way OF a commission on
| sales, which latter IL more common and business
| like besides making Che pedlef extremely anxious
and importunate The privilege OF a theatre rs, IN
! fact, getting to be valuable thing 20 the
florist the bouquet business having prospered won
derlully since the introduction into this country OF
| the drama 'The Black Crook" comic
| Onfrn hDlinp and Engll5h hnrlesnle