New-York tribune., 1896-03-29
BLOSSOMS FOR EASTER.
FLORISTS WILL BE BUSY ALL THIS wEEK>
FLOWERS ARE USED NOT ONLY FOR CHURCH
DECORATION, BUT AS TOKENS AMONG
FRIENDS AND COR

DECORATION BUT AS TOKENS AMONG
FRIENDSHIP AND COR
SAGE BOUQUETS PLENTIFUL
As midsummer is to the purveyor Of ice. mid
winter to the furrer and Christmas 20 the toy dear
er so is Easter to the florist the harvest time OF ns
whole year A decade ago 1t was only in the cnurcne.
that the spring blossoms held carnival. ciustefeo
about the altar in token of gadness and reJoic'nS'
To-day every home has its significant Easter gar. =
land nosegay and every man, woman anu c"''~
secures II possible a floral emblem typical OF tns
season. SO great is the number OF onerinss ex'
changed in greeting that the florists work for Two
entire nights and days previous to the momen'o"s
Sunday. and preparations are made by the growers
looking to the supply OF this demand fully year
before Boxes and baskets Of cut flowers py the
hundreds must be artistically grouped. put up ana
J. addressed the thousands of growing, biossominS
plants must be tied up and protected so that trans
portaton will not jostle their delicate D.ooms' anu
when Easter morning is dawning over the CITY anu
devoted church members are rising so az 10 DC o"
hand to put the final touches on their altar gar
lands the florist and his assistants are JUST soine
N bed having commissioned the drivers to dis
tribute their lovely freight. I'VE deliver hundreds
OF pants-geranums. heotropes. tulips ana jon
ouis-on the east side OF town." said q fashionable
FIfth-ave. florist. 1T is not uncommon Tor single
customer to order 500 or more OF these growing
plants during the week before Easter. to be ais
wishes TO please AS for social offerings there never
was time when flowers were so literally USED.
Every member of the family Is remempered-eVen
the law. the grandmothers and tho baby
In the cradle. Look at the Ions procession up ana
down Fifth-ave on Easter. and you will see scarcely
a woman or a girl without corsage bouquet. ana
hardly a man or boy whose coat lapel does not
boast blossom.
.'Then there is the long array Of window pants
on the fashionable All those must be looked
md ha1
a plant may be 1t must have bloom on It Tor
Easter or II IS a failure. All this rage for Easter
flowers has come about in the last six years we
have got plant-growing nowadays down 10 such
science that tell the very day that the mower
will open II lily for instance. gives promise OK
blooming too early We put 1t in room that Is dark
and cold that will keep 1t back II 1t seems likely to
boom later than IS wanted, we give II sunny ex-
posure for a certain number OF hours or days ny
watching the plants carefully, and shifting them
from one condition another, We generally manage
10 have the blooms Just at the desired time That
magnificent azalea. for instance don't want 10 use
for two weeks II leave II where 1t is 1t will open In
four days, but fortunately there Is such thing as
putting II where IL will stand in statu quo ana
neither advance recede until released from those
conditions
1T takes four years for lily bulb to grow large
and mature enough to produce its full quota OF
flowers. and It takes two years to grow lily buio
at all fit for transportation.
Yes Bermuda is the ideal climate for lily grow
ing: In fact. for all bu.b growing. Holland. the
great bulb-exporting country is practically ex'
hausted now, and fortune awaits the man or wom-
an who will Introduce glass houses in Bermuda and
go regularly into the nower-growing business as II
is conducted In NewYork. The soil there just suits
the purpose and the shines with such persis
tent power that hothouses could be kept at even
or a high temperature without the aid OF artificial
heat. and at mere nominal expense compared with
this country. Tulips grow profusely In Bermuda.
Heat judciously managed is our prime factor those
dwarf French lilacs much admired can be forced
in twenty days to bloom uxuriantly
What is next to the lily in popularity! the
azalea then the more choice specimens Of hydrangee
and zenesta Sprea. too. is favorite. and the
Roman hyacinths and all the bulbous plants
"Callas? Yes they are stately and pure-looking.
but twenty Annunciation lilies are used where ono
calla is called for. The calas look best In the
shaded light Of church or cathedral; they are sell
dom In demand for window plants unless by some
od-fashoned dame who likes one style Of flowers.
"By-the-way, a change has taken place In the
management Of church decoration. subscription
was formerly taken up for the Easter nowers ana
artistic spirit in the congregation devised the
mode Of arrangement. ese florists services
engaged to insure tasteful display. IL mas
now become an almost universal custom In wealthy
congregations for individual members to send d.s-
contributions to the church on Easter eve, all
Of these being growng blooming Plants; bas aecU mne
shall be made OF the gift when its services at inc
church are over sometimes IL IS sen, 'S Sr.pd wSa
will appreciate the unwonted luxury II IS usua! 700.
and ' stipuiate what they intend to send so that
there VIII be neither s an Syersuppy nor lack Oh
Mrs. c. and will provide all the cut flowers Tor
the altar volunteers one lady; another undettakes
send three Jars of Scotch heather or riignon-
e. sommse aP2Orsd s ana q ,rsnsH ns pams
and such quantity OF smilax and ferns as may %
Ieeded which order nsures the attention ,bs o, ds 'ns
posal OF the plants and flowers at hand. Devoted
VINO TIN nare rb 70 arrange the last
supply OF cut blossoms themselves on Easter MORN
ing aa many hsy az Sr o s
is a rose. and an azalea an azaea; they cannot
for flower bousht at this shop as they would give give
sorted over and graded carefully Only the per-
come 10 the first class florists hyacinth that is
n!pped on the edges; rose that has not lis tul
10, rbt Gr on lis peas along with the
imperfect carnations and crumped volets; these 80
or else they vended by the street-seler Most
OF the volets that 90 out from this n0uis or cor
will cost ST. and often cut Bermuda lilies WIN bring
dirary specimen that may be bought in an inferior
S ans % viii readily
mand IS and more. according TO size. We get from
81 O choice hydrangeaS ana from ~ 10 u Ior
iilacs. Palms worth from S TO 81 Any one
wishing to keep growing plant received as a GIT
in good condition should remove the paper and rib
bon which make IT look so festive and suomerge
the FAR in water allowing IL 10 stand .ong enough
for the roots to absorb all the moisture they need
Hydrangeas require watering twice day II kept In
a warm room; although the plant Is naturally hardy.
the artificial conditions have 10 be considered"
Large as the florists Easter business Is now. II 10
likely to increase from year 10 year. owing 10 the
Increased facilities for transportation. The enter.
prising deaer can draw liberal supplies at short no.
flee not only from the out-of-town growers. but
from remote parts Of the South and the far distant
that lately proved so adaptable Tor the
Growth OF exotics. 1t is noticeable that the Jews
y no form SO prominent part OF New-Yorks popu:
,ion oly as many Easter flowers as the people OF
any other race This is because Easter Is coming
10 be more and recognized as the carnival OF
hs snrng the resurrection of Nature as well as tho