The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-25

Wcdopcr, IL Is not unusual to find viO-
lets whose outsprcad petals would cx-
tend over the size of silver dollar, and
American Beauty roses are frequently
seen as large rs Il big orange.
The fashion in flowers varies less
with the season than can be said of
almost anything else. In the vegetable
line, for example, there are certain veg
etables ohtainablc only in certain sea-
sons. Fish and game are also governed
by the time of year, but all kinds of
flowers can be bought Mt all seasons,
and as those that are offered for sale
are nearly always dollhouse grown the
price OF flowers does not vary from win
ter to summer nearly as much as one
who is not in the habit of buying would
suppose.
Thus n certain code of floral laws, OF
what may be called code of floral eti-
Quctte, exists which is followed all the
year round without regard to season
For the debutantc the favoritc bou-
quct is made all of orchids-white or
chids being the preferred ones. The
size for n dcbutantc's bouquet is about
fourteen inches across and is made in
conventional bouquet fashion The cost
is about twelve dollars. But of course,
beautiful and popular young girl re-
ccivcs many bouquets, SO there is always
struggle for something little novel
and sufficiently original that it cannot
be duplicated. Many varieties OF the or
child bouquet, therefore. must be founi
n young man who is, rs you would say,
rather sweet upon n young woman,
and who wants to send her something
which will catch her eye and please
her, will say to his florist:
Can you send Miss a. handsome
bouquet, which shall be-er-n little
er--dffercnt from-cr-anything else,
don't you llnow?"
Then his florist will suggest n bouquet
all of very rare white orchids, with
white lilies on one side. When 1T is
done the young man drops in to see it,
and perhaps he orders finishing touches,
which bring the bill up to fifty dollars
for this one bouquet.
The matron who sends Il bouquet TO
dcb1tantc chooses colorcd orchids.
They may be pink or purple or varic
gated, but the entire bouquet is after
the conventional order.
The dcbutantc, # she is at all popular,
has half a hundred bouquets. But You
may be sure that she has her eye upon
one which She fancics more than any of
the others. and by and by she will pick
it up and carry it for the rest of the
evening to the exclusion of the others.
1t is always the bouquet of white
orchids and white lilies which is chosen.
TO pass to Il more sombcr subject and to
another use to which these same flow
ers are devoted. for funerals the palm
is the accepted offering, although Il
much greater latitude is allowed at flu
ncrals than formerly. At Jay Gould's
funeral there was greater varie-
ty than at any social gathering of
the season. Mrs. August Belmont
had likewise many exquisite floral
pieces. The Rothschilds are in tho
habit of cabling over orders for floral
pieces, and. indeed, it is not unusual to
receive half dozen cable orders for
any large New York event, especially q
funeral. While the palm is the accept
ed tribute for Il funeral, there is floral
piece known as the mat" which is as
good form as anything that can be
sent. This consists of many great
punches of flowers just as they are
brought out of the vases of the cool
room. They are dropped in armfuls
wherever they happen to lie, SO that
the whole is an cxquisitcly beautiful
bit of extravaganza, which, when floral
beauty is considered, well repays tho
buyer
When the man orders a bouquet for
his wife or Il box of flowers it Is CON
sidcrcd the prctticst idea for him to Sc
Iect violets, rs these have clingng assoc
cations of poetry. love. consistency and
all the things that ought to belong to
married life.
A woman in ordering flowers for her
husband will ask that something be
sent suitable for boutonnierc. This
varies little with the season, but is
sure to be chrysanthcmum as long as
chrysanthcmums last.
Flowers for old people and for young
girls arc nearly always cut roses. They
seem to appeal especially to these two
classes. Old people choose them be-
cause they are sweet smelling, and be-
cause old people do not take as kindly
to fashionable floral innovations as
zSung society people do. Girls in their
ss.,ens" like cut roses because they arc
poetical. and because illusions TO grow
ing maidenhood are usually couched in
terms port:aying the opening of the
rose.
It's rather Il new idea with the sea
son, almost Il fad in fact, TO send pots
of growing plants to young men in
place oc birthday or New Years gifts
Indeed. the pot OF growing plants forms
in itsclfa gi!t worthy OF being sent tc
anyone. Rubber plants and all kind:
of hardy foliage plants are selected be