Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-24
ROSES AT FORTY DOLLARS.

From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
Among the floral decorations of the hol-
iday season one plant has been especially
prominent. and will probably continue to
be used conspicuously throughout the WIN
ter This is the poinSettia. With its brilliant
scarlet and green, this presents a most
cheerful appearance, and is particularly
appropriate to adorn cold weather festivi-
ties. The plant is n shrub of Mexican ORR
gin, and its usual height is from two to
three feet. The true flowers are small yell
low blossoms which make slight show,
but the chief beauty of the poinsettia lies
in the many leaflike braCts. of n vivid scar
let, which surround these yellow flowers.
The bracts are almost as large as the
leaves of the plant and of about the same
shape. One flower" as it is commonly
called, meaning thereby the cluster of tiny
yellow blossoms with the hracts around
them, grows on each stalk and constitutes
Il plant by itself. The flower measures from
six inches to foot acrcss, some varieties
having double rows of the red bracts If
proper care is given it plant will keep
its blossom for month ana remain fresh
and bright looking DUNG that time 1t
must be well watered AMI protected from
cold drafts. After the flower has been cut
the plant will bloom again if it is restored
to the moist artificial heat of the green
house. A florist would probably be most
successful in producing this result. The
cut flowers will keep fresh for about Il
week in vase of water.
The Georgia pine with its huge but
graceful plumes the needles of which
measure a foot in length. is new and pop
ular among this winters greens. Great
branches are merciieSsly cut from trees in
the South and shipped in large quantities
to this city, where they are broken, up
still further. IL necessary. to suit the kind
of decoration desired. The needles of the
Georgia pine have curious habit of grow
ing directly from the branch along its en-
tire length. thus forming kind of sheath
which almost hides the bark from view.
In its general appearance n branch of the
pine is not unlike some of the finer vare-
ties of palms.
All cut flowers have been unusually ex-
pensive in the last few weeks. owing chief
ly to the holiday demand for them. They
have already begun TO be cheaper. however.
and will decline rapidly to their standard
prices. American Beauty roses have been
an exception to the general rule. in the rea-
son OF their costliness this winter. From
SO dozen. the regular price for the long
with startling rapidity until they reached
the climax week or two ago at $40 n
dozen. This was due principally to the an
usual scarcity of the flowers. The season
of stormy, dark weather early last month
so affected the production of the blossoms
that florists found ii almost impossible to
get them at any price. This. more even
than the Christmas demand. increased their
cost, and people who insisted upon having
them had TO make up their minds to pay
dearly for the luxury. Now, American
Beauties are bringing $25 and $50 4 dozen
for the best specimens and if the weather
is bright and favorable the price will prob
ably drop further i'm the ricxt few waaks
The new ideas this season serve to in
crease materially the expense of presenting
flowers. To correspond with the latest fash
ion they must be sent either in extremely
artistic and decorative boxes, tied with
ribbons fully six inches wide. or in deep
vases of the real or imitation Bohemian
glass. The boxes are triumphS of dainti-
ness and the green-and-gold OF the vases
seems to bring out with especial charm the
beauty of any flower.