The Columbus journal., 1883-07-18
Artificial Flowers.

What q wonderful trade this is De-
coming! In New York alone there are
$50 manufactures. in Philadelphia a
large number, while As far west Is
Chicago they are making an experiment
in the same direction. One of the lead
ing flower stores relies entirely upon
French goods. which are OF course more
carefully prepared and of higher artistic
merit than domestic manufactures rs
Yet. But there are rapid strides being
made, and one Of the largest houses on
Broadway boasts of not having u single
foreign hand. Now that Dame Fashion
has decreed in the most autocratic man.
her that an abundance of artificial
flowers shall be used. not only for bon
nets and cOrsage bouquets, but as trim
mings for dresses, both dinner snd even
ing toilets, the question arises now and
where to get the prettiest, cheapest and
most appropriate flowers. Modjeska
vas the first to set the fashion in favor
of flower garniture. The white flowers
are all made during the long dark days
of winter, as white is more easily worked
on than any other color. 1t must cheer
the hearts of those steady workers to
feel that in spite Of rain and snow and
cold there are brighter days coming. a
week maybe of rest, when they al 90
away and seek the very flowers their
nimble fingers fashion. But the water
lily is not the only white flower; there
are lilacs, and y~iOlets, and carnations,
and appie-blosSoms. and fancy" flow
ers-meanlrg y flower that may or may
not be in nature. but IL pretty and mar
ketable. The flowers are chiefly made
from W. mae rials-bishop's lawn and
a heavy quality OF null muslin. The
latter is used in the soft, lo~Ose-leaved
roses and dropping flowers; the former
for viOlets. pansies. daisies and flowers
that have more .'body," if such a word
be admissible in flowers. This white
muslin is laid in one or two thicknesses
on a piece Of lead. then an iron instru-
ment, finished at one end with the shape
of q flower. il pounded down by a heavy
hammer. and n or two flowers are
cut. They are then given a bath-that
is, dipped in pink or yellow or blue, IS
the case NAV be-and while wet the
deeper or lighter tints are added with a
brush. Then they are put aside to dry.
This work is done by the men. The
women afterward take theYl in hand and
they are crimped, other leaves turned
by pineers, or if buttercups or bells
they are placed on a small pillow and
rounded into cup-shape by a small in
strument with a leaden ball at one end.
They are made in much the same man
ner; those with the brilliant dust over
them are dipped in melted wax and
the dust powdered on while the wax is
still warm. The leaves and flowers are
wired and put together b. other hands,
and for grouping they 90 into 4 new
department. With the large amount of
hand-work on artificial flowers it is Won
derful how they are sold so cheap, espe-
cially as the labor commands 4 fair
price. The fOrewomen get S25 and $50
a week, and the others So and $40 and
Sl2. 1t is a pretty tableau, the long
tables piled high with flowers, each girl
of them giving life and completeness to
the blossoms by the addition of green
leaves. Whether it is that the manufac-
ture of artificial flowers has been left
exclusively to women, and they have not
as a rule inventive minds, or that so
much hand-wOrk is required as to make
machinery a secondary consideration. is
a question. But the fact remains that
of all machinery most inadequate othe
work required is the machinery used in
making artificial flowers. 1t is crude
and cumbrous, and in many years there
has been only one improvement. and
that in a French machine, which has
force enough to cut a dozen flowers in
stead of one. With our Yankee aptness
and ingenuity in machinery here is a
large and undeveloped field.-N. y.