The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-06-08
Artificial Flower-Making.
From y. Y. Evening Post.


and selling artificial flowers, and the whole
sale houses here distribute them TO all of
the smaller cities within radius of several
hundred miles In one of these large
places the flowers bloom ON all sides in such
profusion that florist greenhouse is put
into the shade Colors of the brightest,
and combinations of hues that rival the
finest productions of nature. shine forth
from every table ana shelf. Elaborate
nosegays and corsage bouquets are made
up to show to the visitor what startling
effects can be produced with artificial flow
pr>
With a little muslin. linen and silk, a
few colors and some fine wire, we cannot
only initiate but surpass Nature in her
beauty, remarked the head of one of
these concerns Our outfit is small, but
We make flowers blossom here at the rate
Of several thousand a day Formerly
flower making was slow, clumsy handwork
but most of it Is done now with improved
implements and machinery We have a
number of girls here who cut out with a
stamp ,. 00G flowers day. Other opera
tor, dye, paint, and put the flowers to-
sether. making the work simple and easy
\ few years ago most of the artificial flow
ers were made by poor girls and women in
their homes, hut the demand has become
- great now that they have to be manu-
faetured on a larger scale Many people
use artificial flowers for household decora-
tion as well as for hat trimmings, and we
are now producing elegant plants just in
bloom that cannot be told from the natural
ones unless examined closely. These plants
are Sold in hower-pots and centre pieces,
with real dirt around their wire roots.
People who get tired Of trying to nurse
sickly palms and ferns into life buy artif
cial ones, and place them in their semi
darkened parlors where dust and shade do
them no harm These novelties are quite
the 20 among people who love to have
flowers around, but do not care to bother
raising them, and have not the means to
renew the iariinieres every week or ten
days
The manufacture Of the flowers is really
simple and strangely fascinating Muslin
linen. velvet satin and silk are all used
ior this work and long strips are stretched
on bleachers in the driving roOm ready for
use at all times Before the flower pat
terms are eut cut the strips Of cloth are
coated with composition Of starch and
dextrine to stifien them They are then
placed on the stretcheus 20 dry The next
pr,ceS. Is To dye the material If yellow
buttercups are to be made the cloth Is
s,aked a few minutes in some anlline dye
ing solution which turns the whole material
to beautiful yellow It Is then put
through wTiuger. aud finally stretched
ont 10 dry
The process from now on Is more inter
esiing In brackets along the sides Of the
raom are many stamps Of flower cutters,
Of the shape Of ruses, buttercups pansies
and scoTc- Of other flowers aud leaves,
These stamps are made Of steel, with a
sharp edge ou the lower side 4 long
strip cf dyed cloth Is placed on the bench,
and dozen more on top If this Begin
ming At one end Of the block, the stamper
cats aat dozen flowers with one sharp
blow OF has males. \ dozen flowers cut
in this way are more perfect than those
carefully shaped by an artist pen and
then eut out with scissors The operator
works rapidly, aud no part of the cloth Is
wasted except small pieces that cannot be
touched by the stamp IN making q perfect
pattern,
The yeiuing process Is equally simple.
Usually there are two dies for this. enc
forming the centre of the flowers, and the
other the veins tha, run out to the extrem-
ities 81 the leaves The dies are arranged
carefully over the flowers. aud then the
pressman stamps the veins upon them.
About three gross Of flowers can be yeined
in this way by good operator each day.
Most Of the flowers then have 10 be press
I'd inside to give them the hollow or cup
shaped appearance Of nature \ circular
steel ball called gofer. Is attached to a
handle. and this Is heated and waxed by
the operator and then pressed and worked
around the centre Of the flowers until the
proper curve Is obtained The heat and
pressure together make the leaves curl up
and remain 50
The flowers are put together by skilled
operators. who fasten the centre of the
flower 10 wire stems, aud then glue the
stamens 10 the middle of the cup. \ cen
ire piece Is made of com-meal wool, paper,
or muslin tubing, according to the kind of
flowers Ia be made The stamens are
usually made of jute. The stems are
made of wire wrapped with tissue paper or
muslin. Many of the expensive flowers
are touched up by hand with the point of
a brush. \ score or more are fastened ON
u frame and passed over TO the artist who
rapidly gives different shades and eolors 10
the edges and centres Of the blossoms. A
bunch Of flowers properly painted in this
way brings from 80 cents to several dollars
This work Is distinct from tissue paper
flower making. Usually, however the
latter Is conducted in the same building
and about the same class of operators work
ON these flowers The paper flowers are
much cheaper as less labor is expended
upon them. Some Of the fine silk and
satin flowers last for lifetime, and do not
lose their shape or color by wear Artists
of considerable talent are employed in
touching up their leaves.
Connected with most of the artificial
flower factories is bird and feather de-
partment where many operators are EN-
ployed in preparing these ornaments for
use. As many as LOCO, 600
birds are imported into this country annu-
ally to be made up as hat-ornaments In
addition to this, enormous quantities Of
feathers from turkeys, ducks, and other
domestic fowls are curled for cheap hat
trimming. The feathers are all dyed and
beaten dry. and then eurled by steam so
that they no more resemble the rough
feathers of our barnyard fowls than those
freshly plueked from bird of paradise.
The edges are trimmed of, and frosted and
covered with jet Gelatine is used for the
,olored frostings, but gold, copper, and
silver are fastened ON the expensive feathers
Dy means of rubber gum.
The birds with their plumages carefully
preserved are brought to these factories
rom all parts of the country. The gun-
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