The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-03-22

Fashionable Flowers.
One of the most sensible steps Dame
Fashion ever took was when she dis
carded the stiff, old-fashioned bouquet
formed of mixed flowers, each one with
a dagger through its heart, in the shape
Of wire; and the whole awkward
affair planted in the middle of a round
piece Of hideous lace paper. Such
wholesale destruction is no longer per-
mltted. and in place of sticks and wires
are the long stems OF the flowers them
ssssJyes, gathered loosely together, tied
with loops OF ifihSGa fiS5Uh, oyer which one or
two choice buds droop their pretty
heads.
Roses are the favored flowers Of the
moment, and where do they all come
from2 is the question. Think of the
quantities required to meet the demands
of an exceptional season in society, as
8 the present in Philadelphia. Sixty
five debutantes in the field, and the fes-
tive ball rolling at its fullest speed.
The constant round Of gayeties is sub
ect to but one Limitation; the number
Of nights in the week. Think of the
profusion Of flowers at each one of
these entertainments. They fill every
available space in the different apart
ments; they twine over the staircases;
they form arbors from behind which
the soft strains of music steal; they
are the touch Of color to the supper
table; at least one bouquet is part of
the toilet Of every lady present; while
the fair arms of the debutante have
been known to carry as many as twenty
fragrant clusters. Where do the fiow-
ers all come fromI
A talk with well-known authority
on the culture of roses elicits the infor-
nation that the majority of "new"
roses, as they are called, come from
England and France. What are called
new roses are usually those that we have
not been accustomed to seeing. They
have been kept out of sight for years.
perhaps, in order TO bring them to
greater perfection, and then exhibited
under new name. For example, the
'Bon Silene" and "Niphetox" are both
old roses. The ''Bon Silene," not SO
beautiful as it is now, was well known
in this country as long as fifteen years
ago. Not being very popular it was
discarded. Some individual grower
succeeded in improving it so that it be-
came an established favorite in France,
and soon found its way to this part Of
the world. The "Niphetox" bud, with
its long, white, slender petals, was
grown here forty years ago. Then it
was lost sight OF, and not heard of
again till a man by the name Of
Granger ie, introduced it into the trade
with France. He claimed it to be a
new variety, but called it by its old
name, and there were few, even among
the growers, with memories sufficiently
long to recall it. The soil of Nice is
especially adapted for these buds, and
sends great quantities of them inio
Paris, where they are prime favorites.
The raising of roses is tedious and
disappointing business. In France and
Germany there are men of education
who devote their whole time andthought
to it.
A prominent rose-grower is RESPONSE
BILE for the statement that there are
black roses, the principle varieties OF
which are the Emperor of Morocco and
Sultan Of Zanzibar; as also that there
are green roses, the Viridis being
the best of them, rechristened by a
dealer the "Fenian Sisters."
Brides no longer limit themselves to
the conventional grange blossoms, but
fasten their wells with white lilacs
white roses or lilies of the valley, and
carry bouquets to correspond. Russian
vlolets are in high favor; they are full
rich flowers, blue black in color, witt
deep orange hearts and are very fra
grant. English Ivy is extensively used
similax having lost prestige. Very
choice bouquets are made up of one
half Russian violets and the other
half Gloire de Paris roses.
The modest field flowers are by NJ
means forgotten; they are extensivel!
cultivated now and are no longer mod
est in price. White clever, buttercups
DAISIES and chrysanthemums bring
quite as high prices as do their NOR,
pretentious kindred and are thought es
pecially appropriate for the debutantes
who often wear simple clusters of dais
les or buttercups at the waists of thei
feecy-white toilets.
Apple-blossoms are also cul tivate'
they are usually forced from branches o
the crab-apple tree and retain the blusl
tint and the delicious odor SO suggest
i've Of fresh green swsrds.