The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-06-12
ARrITIoIA1-T1owEB MAnrvG.
Interesting Details of New York Indus
try.

all aglow with artificial flowers and
manufacturers of these delicate orna-
ments are busy turning out thousands
Of violets, buttercups. pansies, roses
and daisies. New York is a great CEN
ter for manufacturing and selling arti-
fetal flowers, and the wholesale houses
here distribute them to all of the small
err cities within a radius OF several hun
dred miles, In one Of these large places
the flowers bloom on all sides in such
profusion that a florists greenhouse Is
put into the shade. Colors of the
brightest, and combinations Of hues
that rival the finest productions Of ma
ture, shine forth from every table and
shelf Elaborate nosegays and corsage
bouquets are made up to show to the
visitor what startling effects can be
produced with artificial flowers.
With a little muslin, linen and silk,
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 fower-making was
slow, clumsy handwork, but most of 1t
is done now with improved implements
and machinery. We have a number of
girls here who cut out with a stamp
two thousand flowers a day. Other OPP
orators dye, paint and put the flowers
together, making the work simple and
easy A few years ago most Of the ar
tifcial flowers were made by poor girls
and women in their homes but the de-
n1and has become so great now that
they have to be manufactured on a
larger scale. Many people use artificial
flowers for household decoration 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 fower-pots and cen
ter-pieces. with real dirt around their
wire-roots. People who get tired Of try
ing to nurse siclrly palms and ferns into
life buy artificial ones, and place them
in their semi-darkened parlors where
dust and shade do them no harm,
These novelties are quite the "go''
among people who love TO have flowers
around, but do not care to bother rails
ing them, and have not the means to
renew the jardinieres 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 for this work, and long strips
are stretched on bleachers in the dry
ing-room ready for use at all times.
Before the flower patterns are cut out
the strips of cloth are coated with q
composition of starch and dextrine to
stiffen them. They are then placed on
the stretchers to dry, The next process
is to dye the material. If yellow but
tercups are to be made, the cloth is
soaked a few minutes in some aniline
dyeing solution which turns the whole
material to a beautiful yellow. 1t is
then put through wringer, and finally
stretched out to dry.
The process from now on is more in
teresting. In brackets along the sides
OF. the room are many stamps of flower
cutters, of the shape of roses, butter
cups, pansies and scores of other flow
ers and leaves. These stamps are made
of steel, with sharp edge on the lower
side. A long strip of dyed cloth is
placed on the bench, and dozen more
on top of this. Beginning at one end of
the block, the stamper cuts out dozen
flowers with one sharp blow of his mall
let. A dozen flowers cut in this way
are more perfect than those carefully
shaped by an artists pen and then cut
out with scissors. The operator works
rapidly, and no part of the cloth is
wasted, except small pieces that cannot
~ =. oIrg,,
perfect pattern.
The veining process is equally simple,
there are two dies for this, one
the center Of the flowers and
the other the veins that run out to the
extremities of the leaves. The dies are
arranged carefully over the flowers, and
then the pressman stamps the veins
upon them. About three gross Of flow
ers can be veined in this way by good
operator each day, Most of the flowers
then have to be pressed inside to give
them the hollow or cup-shaped appear
hnce of nature A circular steel ball
ealled gofer, is attached to handle,
bind this lis heated and waxed by the
operator, and then pressed and worked
bround the center of the flowers until
fhe proper curve is obtained. The heat
hnd pressure together make the leaves
Eurl UP and remain so.
The flowers are put together by
KILLED operators, who fasten the center
bf the flower to wire stems, and then
klue the stamens to the middle of the
'up. A center-piece is made of corn
heal, wool, paper, or muslin tubing, &C
.ording to the kind of flowers to be |
.nade. The stamens are usually made |
sf jute. The stems are made Of wire |
trapped with tissue paper or muslin.
7Tany of the expensive flowers are
souched up by hand with the point of a |
Brush. A score or more are fastened on |
4 frame and passed over to the artist, |
tho rapidly gives different shades and |
plors to the edges and centers of the |
lossoms A bunch Of flowers properly |
8ainted in this way brings from fifty |
Nents to several dollars.
8This work is distinct from tissue-pa-
er fiower-making. Usually, however,
he latter is conducted in the same
#1llding, and about the same class of
Fberators work on these flowers The
lper flowers are much cheaper, as less
#bor is expended upon them. Some Of
He fine silk and satin flowers last for a
Hetime, and do not lose their shape or
lor by wear. Artists of considerable