The Osceola times., 1882-07-22
SUNPL0WERS AND LILIES.
The Demand at the Florists, and Their
Use and Beauty.
New York sun.


"Have the flower seed sellers reape
an outward and visible result of the in.
ward and spiritual aesthetic love fer sur
flowers and llies?" two OF the most prom.
inent dealers in flower seeds were asked
"Sirw both calculated.
"IIaye the florists made money by sell
ing sunflower seeds and lily bulbs since
the coming of Oscar Wilder"
"We have sold about five times as many
sunhower seeds this year as we did last
year" answered one of the dealers. "For
several years there has been a general
movement TO re establish in public favor
such old flowers az used to grow wild,
chrysanthemuns-they are the common
daisies, you know. The demand for sun
flower seeds came on us quite suddenly.
The sales have been mostly over the
counter this spring to persons who live
in the suburbs OF New York, or in good
sized cities on principal railroads. Next
year the demand will come in from as
far west as the Mississippi river, and not
until two years from now will the rage
get to the Rocky mountains"
"Who buy them?"
"Wealthy persons almost entirely, who
OWN pretty llltlt Nillts VIII idWHo anu
gardens about them. When the sales
first began to increase the purchasers
would laugh and get little red in the
face and look guilty when they were ask
ing tor them; but now, bless you, they
are quite brazen about talking over the
different species Of the flower"
(Which ofthe species is most afiected?"
"The flower is a native of Peru, and
six varieties are known-the California
sunhower, five feet high, with blossoms
extra large and double; the Globosus
tistulosus, six feet high, with flowers
very large and globular in shape, and the
petals of bright rich saffron color; the
Macrophylus giganteus, six feet high,
pyramidal in growth; the Oculatis vridis,
five feet high, with densely double
flower with a green center; the Oscar
Wilde, the botanical name Of which is
Helianthus pyramidalis tioribundus
nanus. ! will translate, that Helian
thus means sunhower, pyramidalis stands
for pyramidal in growth, fioribundus sig
mites abounding in flowers and nanus
denotes dwarf. So you have the name,
dwarf s,nflower, pyramidal in growth
and abounding in flowers. 1t is a hybrid,
and Newport florist discovered it in his
garden last summer, where other varie-
ties of annual were growing. The flower
is quite small, only three or four inches
in diameter, and a single bloom has been
and is now very fashionable at Newport
for corsage flower. That is the most
fashionable sunhower. The name made
it sell like hot cakes. It's pretty flow
er, too, for a sunhower."
The least fashionable sunflower is that
which is the most useful, one / have not
named, the mammoth Russian variety,
and it will be fashionable in farmers back
gardens after fashionable people have
gwen them the go by. 1t is profitable
plant, for 1t yields 30 to 100 bushels Of
seed to an acre. and for poultry it makes
the best feed known. Ih the laying sea-
son feed Your hens three times a week
on sunhower seeds and you will see the
best of results in eggs. In cold weather
the oil in which the seeds abound keeps
up animal heat in fowls. For show birds
at county fairs a short diet of sunflower
seeds gives the feathers an extra glossy
coat, and clean bright look to the combs
and gills. Another thing, I've no doubt
that when grown extensive in marshy
district they go far to ward off malaria,
as they grow rapidly and absorb moisture
which otherwise would evaporate and
poison the air"
as there any truth in the popular sup.
position that the suntlower turns itself
continually toward the sun ?"
at is an erroneous notion"
"The popular demand for the flower
is that ii makes a show is t?"
Entirely SO; lady the other day
bought large quantity through her gar
dener, and intends to plant them between
her heuse and the street in one Of the
suburbs of New York, and the plants will
form a hedge 800 feet long"
"Is the demand for calla lilies 80 no.
ticeable as that for sunflowers ?"
st is not 80 noticeable, but the dem and
is large But very beautiful new Gala
that has Just been brought from England
is TO be popular. II tiscalled the Richard a
hastala ON account of it's shape. 1T is
long and slender like spread heal, is
of a soft yellow color, is unders re l. ald
has delicate purple throat down in the
center of the bell.n