The Washington critic., 1888-01-28
.FAVORITE FLOWERS.
Interesting Facts Learned from a
Local Florist,
THE METHODS OF oFORCING."
Color becoming Fashionable in
Funeral Decorations.

"These roses" said lady attend
ant, at q local florists shop, "sell for
seventy-fve cents apiece"
The clerk exhibited magnificent
specimen from heap Of huge pink
petaled flowers called American
Beauties, and, shaking from it n
shower Of the water which had as
sisted in its preservation, added:
''The American Beauty is, at least
in Washington, the fayorite flower
this season. 1t originated in Wash
ington about five years ago, aud has
ever since held its popularity among
flower-buyers here. There is o rose
house out near the Boundary where
the first specimen Of the variety was
grown and which is still almost ex-
clusively devoted to culture of its
kind. Some Washington ladies prize
these flowers so highly that they are
never seen in the evening without q
bunch of them at the corsage."
eight roses, at least, would be re-
quired to make a presentable J0ugu6t
dc corsdge," said the reporter. SIS
that not u rather expensive luxury ?''
TRICKS or ECoNoMIcAL PEOPLE.
eyes, perhaps" was the reply; "but
then economical society women learn
u trick or two about the preservation
of flowers and thus make Il few dol
lars worth of roses go q long way
That S easily done. Nowadays flowers
are worn very loosely so they don't
crush one another. The bunch placed
With regard to protection, Haven't
you observed that tall women always
wear the. bouquet high on the neck?
That's TO have them out of reach of
the jostling crowd about them. Women
who are blessed by nature or by art,
which is much the same thing, with
large busts wear the roses ut the
waist, carefully but prettily slowed
away beneath natures or arts pro-
lection. Economy has also taught
the trick Of clipping q bit from the
stem of the rose at the end of the
evening, of placing the ,freshcned
stems in weak ammonia solution
and of putting the faded flowers away
| ina refrigerator, from which they5are
| reproduced in good state Of preserva-
ton for the next social occasion"
SYSTEM OF FLOWER EXCHANGE.
"Has the American Beauty q sale
outside of Washington" 7. SA
''0h yesSa large sale. The original
cultivatorships quantities of them to
New York and other large cities, and,
besides, they are grown elsewhere
with much success. Flowerexchange
is carried on in large scale between
American cities. We sbi large num-
bers of roses to New York during the
dull season here. They are carefully
packed in waxed paper, which we
1 1 buy in large rolls, and in cotton wad-
ding, which keep them ataan even
temperature, notwithstanding changes
in the weather. Ilere's avery deli
cate and popular rose," the, speaker
added, showing u medium-sized,
loosely-folded Hover, whose pure
white-tipped petals were slightly
tipged at the roots with sulphur tint.
The flower exhibited is called the
Puritan, and never fails to find buyers
at seventy-five cents. tits, lat pres.
cent, the rival of the1floral beauty La
France, (which, however, on account
Of the large numbers shipped from
New Jersey lighthouses. sells at the
much cheaper price, 50 per dozen.
Nest of the flowers sold by local
florists are grown in the greenhouses
ON Benning Bridge road. Here there
is literally Il city of glass, and ON q
bright, cold winter day the thou
sands Of crystal paneS glitter like III
artificial sun advertising the warmth
which nurses the luNuriant growth
within.
FORCING FLOWERS.
"lt's interesting TO consider, sale
an experienced nurseryman of scien
tifc tendencies, that the energy
which causes our flowers to blossom
on these wlntry days is the sunlight
that shone on the earth long ago il
the old carboniferous age. In those
ancient days it made huge plants
grow, which, in turn, faded, became
incorporated in the rich soil and whose
fossil remains are to-day unearthet
in the form of coal and burned in on
lighthouses, thus giving out the stored
up SUMS heat of years ago to haster
the growth of our flowers"
This old sunlight works marvels o
beauty inside the glass-houses. Lilie'
of the valley, which sell for 81 {
dozen; hyacinths, which bring sew
enty cents dozen in the Washington
market, and violets, that cost two
cents apiece, are forced to blossom ou
Of season by the borrowed heat
After roses, carnations are in creates
demand, and are grown in profusion
One Of the most timportantpartso of til,
fiowerrgrowers' trade is Technically
called forcing This consists in hold
ing the Towering of plants in abey
ance until the season arrives wheI
there is the greatest demand for til,
blossoms. ont, Of season the plant
are kept in the dark and at low tem
pcIatWe to restrict theirgrowtlI, and
whom the timefor selling comes, Tia,
darkness is exchanged for sunligh
and the low temperature 70
moist heat, under which favorable
circumstances, the lRids appear, burs
into blossom, answer to the Jingle o
society's dollars, and enrich the purs
Of the florist. The florist does no
always get the dellars, however, fo
people, and some of those in higl
places, even members Of Congress
one dealer explained, get credit 70
flowers and often prove bad debtors
. a flOpisttells ofapopularlsocicty ma
who was led 10 pay n big bill 70
flowers bya bit of strategy. He oi
dered a bouquet sent TO Young lad
) and, with the floTll token, the fox
dealer presented to the belle an item
lied bill of. .hcr admirel' purchase
for the past two seasons, giving til
/ address to which eacli bouquet Went