Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-10
FLOWERS.

While the great business OF life goes ON,
while on the farm, in the workshop, and 10
the marts of trade, the muscle and the intellect
are alike exercised there are certain elegant
aud refued pursuits which are also industrious
" prosecuted. Among them may be mention
ed Horticulture. No Que, perhaps, who has the
ordinary senses with which humanity is eudow-
ed can look without feeling of pure pleasure
upon y beautiful flower. But flowers do more
than please the eye-they delight with their
fragrance, and they charm with their exquisite
mechanism In all ages and among all nations
they have been assiduously cultivated and have
been used at festivals, on bridal occasions, for
decorating churches, aud for variety OF pur-
poses.
We find in the New York Journal of Com
merce an interesting account Of Horticulture and
the bouuet trade iu that city. 1t estimates the
amount annually expended in New York for
flowers at hundreds Of thousands of dollars,
and says that year after year there Is an IN
creasing love of flowers among the people. 1t
appears that the flowers which are most eager
ly sought after and which command the best
prices are white ones they being more used
than all others collectively y.-R.ch. Wig.
1t may interest our readers to learn some. OF
the particulars Of the trade in flowers III New
York The Journal of Commerce says:
n
mand for them increases. Boston and Phlla-
delphia are called upon, almost daily by tele-
graph, to make up the supply for New York
None but perfect flowers are wanted. rare VA
rieties eagerly sought and handsome prices
freely paid. Here, during the winter, the
usual price of handsome rosebuds Is twenty
five cents each violets bring about the same
price per dozen. Camellias sell readily for
twenty-five cents price when III large supply
and range from that to one, two aud three dol
lars piece during the winter and near holidays.
Hand bouquets are sold from fifty cents up
ward. What the florists term good hand bou-
quets bring Eve dollars; extra tiue, from i've
TO ten dollars Occasionally some are sold for
fifteen and twenty dollars. Baskets OF flowers,
we'll arranged, sell from five dollars to twenty
and extra large ones from fifty to one hundred
and fifty. They have been sold here as high
as three hundred dollars Crosses and wreaths
usually range from five to thirty dollars.
cross of flowers in one of the Brooklyn church
es on Easter Sunday cost one hundred dollars.
Refreshment and dinner tables are decorated
with bouquets ran. ing from FIVE to twenty
dollars, and sometimes higher. At private en-
tertainments it is not unusual to see from one
hundred and fifty to three hundred dollars
worth of floral decorations and at wedding
reception given in this city short time ago
three thousand dollars were represented IN
flowers and plants 1t is said that at the last
ball given In this city by the Amerlcus Club,
when Irving Hall was connected with the Acad-
emy of Music and filled with exotlcs and ma
tive plants, rocks and fountains, rustic arDors'
flowers and singing birds, the botanical collec-
tion was loaned to the club for that night Tor
the sum of six thousand dollars.
EFtoap pooro ouh tho avara cost Ot flowers
ut funeral was about ten dollars. Now 1t ex-
cecds one hundred, and sometimes more than
one thousand dollars worth is required.
DIAMOND Found IN SHAVING BRUsH.-
The Chronicle of Augusta, Ga, vouches for
the following as correct in every particular:
About eighteen years ago, two gentlemen
of this city-we-kn in the mercantile
circles-purchased two shaving brushes from
the drug house of Plumb & Leitner: The
brushes were of the ordinary kind, and cost,
brushes were kept at the barber shops
and at the homes of the purchasers until
about two years ago, when they seemed worn
out, and were used by the children as play
things. One of the brushes was lost, but
few days ago a singular discovery was made in
relation to the other while a little boy was
playing with it, the top became unscrewed, and
in the hollow handle valuable diamond was
discovered set in the wood and carefully cover
cred with pink cotton. The exact value of the
stone is not known, but it is of pure water and
good size
There are many conjectures as to how the
gem came to be in the handle OF the brush,
the most plausible Of which is that 1T was
placed their by smugglers. Before the war,
to some importer of precious stones, who wished
Is +bo hoo Inf
placed them 10 shaving brushes and IN this
way brought them under the nose of the Gus
tomhOuse officers without creating the suspl-
cions of the latter Afterwards the enterprls-
ing jeweler forgot to remove some OF the jewels,
and the brushes went into the hands OF the
druggists.
INDIAN IDOLS IN IowA.-The Dubuque
Times says that at the base of what is known
as Capitola Bluff, seven miles from Lansing,
there is an Indian idol manufactured out OF the
solid rock, which has stood there 20 one can
tell for how many centuries, but which must
soon be removed to make room for the coming
railroad. At little distance the idol resemb-
les huge bear reposing upon its launches.
The strange and uncouth object is still held IN
the utmost veneration by all Indians, and the
various bands as they pass up and down the
river. invariably stop and endeavor to propltl-
ate the idol with liberal presents OF tobacco,
strings of gaudy-colored beads, pieces OF dry Try
buffalo tongue, etc. There 1t sits; at M tne @ oafe
of the bluff, mute and solemn, looking OUT wiz, t
expressionless eyes over the bosom OF the
mighty river that murmurs at It's 1eet' nevei
mourning never speaking, like another sylphA'
The ground whereon the throne OF Ine my' le'
poses is wanted for the oad-bed, and the sllen''
expressionless god, whose brow has been bath. tn
ed in the morning sunlight of so many centu'
ries, must fall But short distance from this
is a smaller idol, which had evidently been
placed on the side of the bluff, but by some
convulsiou of pature was overturned centuries
ago and pitched into the river During high
water it is compl etely covered, but in low wa,
ter the head and part of the body are distinct
ly visible