New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-08
FLOWERS IN A BIG CITY.
GREAT QUANTITIES USED IN NETWORK.
FAyoRITES AMONG DIFFERENT CLASSES-DIS-
TEIBUTION IN HOsPIrALS-A CHAT
WITH A FLORIST


distributions were made at the Five Points and
other thicklv populated centres where wretched
ness and misery abound The break neck anxiety
shown by the hapless little ones and even by the
besotted big who sleep on the benches sug-
gested to the writer a line of inquiry about flow
ers. covering many heads of the subject Almost
every one is fond of flowers If there can be found
any one who isn't. 1t would be the course OF pru-
dence, If you should meet such person in lone
some place dark night, TO take the other
side OF the road. When Sir Rowland Hill estsb-
lished the penny postage in England the expert
ment was called by witty man at the time
sLovemaking made easy" Although, however, the
arrival of the postman with that little bit of
paper creates d futter who shall say that 1t Is
more redolent of joyous feeling than the act of
your best girl " when she takes simple daisy
primrose from her breast and puts it in your
buttonhoe? Give a flower, mister. Hey,
mister. give a flower" 1t is a common eXpe-
rience to hear this demand in the streets of New
York. II you fortunate as to have a bou-
quet, only a few flowers. The poor love flow
more than the rich do.
Why is 1t that you please omit flowers in
connection with the obituary notice of some
wealty person? The florists won't always tell
you. There is little. in fact, that they will tell
you about their business, except in a general way
DODGING THE PROFIT QUESTION.
ut is suggested by many that the profits of
those who engaged in this business are enor-
NOUS" said the reporter to dealer. us 1t so?
IL have desire to give any information on
that point at ALL" the answer. IF we have
high profits, look at the ennobling mission we full
III In the complex economy of social state.
world without flowers and men to tend and cult
vate and sell them would be inconcevabe
q world without atmosphere"
"why 1t that many requests. please
omit nowers?"
in the great majority of cases this peculiar re-
quest is the outgrowth of feeling emanating
from a wholly different condition of mind. People
wish to prevent the indscriminate offering Of
flowers by persons whom they know slightly, 10y
persons whom they do not know at all. and by
persons whom they know. yet do not like. The
flowers sent the occasion of death in the
family by any of these three classes of per
sons; the surviving relatives Of the departed one
feel that they thereby put under an obligation
as unwelcome ii is unsought. This think. is
the origin of Please omit flowers America is
land of flowers and the custom OF showing ones
respect for the dead in this Wayne matter what
may be the motve-is American custom, and it
will continue be. 1t is fact that in
great many cases little attention is paid to the
request
Coming back to the question of profits contin-
ued the writer. cit is urged that if they larger
than those which reward the abors of people en-
gagged in other business pursuits, it is because
you suffer greater losses by reason of the goods
which remain unsold on any day. and which
no longer salabe.''
MANY USES FOR FLOWERS.
"Still harpng on my daughter" ne said with
q smile. lone thing can tell you. no such reason
has ever been urged by firm. With any house
that does such an extensive trade do you
would be surprised TO hear the variety of to
which flowers may be put, and are invariably put
that would otherwise be thrown on our hands.
Think of all the charitable institutions there are
in New-York. and of all the charitable people
who take interest in them. We have many
women customers who make weekly visits to
these homes of the sick and of the poor. Now, If
we prepared to-day, for instance for larger sale
than actually took place. it is common thing for
these women to and say. I am going
10 pay visit to such hospital day after to-
morrow and If l send my butler here will you
let him have those flowers that are left over, and
j shall pay whatever you consider fair. Again.
where there has been reception or a big wedding
where the decorations elaborate at the house
or in the church. it is said to us frequently,
when the affair is l want your decorators
to come and remove those flowers and distribute
them among the hospitals Sometimes they name
certain hospitals. but more generally it is left to
ourselves. Lying-in hospitals and chldrens hes
pitfalls and places of that character. believe.
have got the first call. and to these send them.
Where there is surplus after this we send them
to the New-York. to Bellevue and on"
"Where does New-York Ctys supply of flowers
come FROM
''They are grown in the suburbs. in Jersey
City. in Long Island. up the Hudson upon both
banks. and in Staten Island. They grown by
men who have devoted years TO the business and
who have become specialists each in a different
line. A finds that he has a talent for grow
ing volets and in that particular branch Of flor
tculture he becomes perfect. Another makes the
cultivation of particular variety of rose his spe-
cialty, and TO this he will devote all his time A
man will get engrossed in the production of flow
ers grown from bulbs. such hyacinths lilies of
the valley narcissus, fresia tulips and
Others again fond Of producing old fashioned
flowers. such as stock. gillies candytuft forget
me-not mgnonette and sweet peas. Then there
are carnation specialists. whose efforts bent
TO the bringing perfection possible this
sweet-smeling and lovely looking flower, and
last, but not least, the orchid growers, men who,
having acquired large collection of orchids, de-
vote all their time thereafter TO cultivating them"
THE CULTIVATION OF ORCHIDS.
"Might you not have put orchids hrst?'
81 might. Don't grow impatient. ! have more
TO tell you about them. An orchid is aristo-
cratic flower and l suppose this is the reason it
is so tender and susceptible and perhaps unreli-
able 1t is a very shy bloomer. 1t Is like glass in
transit-has to be handled with care. 1t is not
plant that you come into "A store and buy and
carry off TO your home, expecting it to bloom like
an ordinary plant You may have "A thousand of
these plants. but you cannot count upon all of
them blooming: it would he safe to allow for the
failure of a certain percentage. The plant belongs
to a tropical cline. and it thrives best in high
temperature and a warm and moist atmosphere.
There bloom varieties and
winter bloom varieties; but the aim.
generally speaking of those who devoted TO
flower culture and who take especial pride in
that department Of the business to which the
child belongs is TO have this flower bloom in the
winter. when 1t has the market so much TO itself.
and when there is such an increased and increas
ing demand for It, There is. of course. demand
for orchids all the year, yet owing 10 It's high
class character, the care and trouble required In
its cultivation. and It's comparative scarcity, there
Is over-production Curious as it may
appear, II IL only during the last seven or eight
years that il has come into use so extensively"
LAS to the for the sale of flowers?
las to that" he replied. 'it may be said, par
ticularly In a city like NewYork. among whose
wealthy people the range OF taste In the matter
Of floral decoration Is variable. that IL never
hags the exists the whole year around:
There periods when more flowers used
than others. / should say however, that flowers
are used more extensively in the winter than in
summer. The have noticed this is that
in the winter people who purchase flowers de-