The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-09-01
IMITATION PALM TREES.
There Is an Increasing Use of n Semi
Artificial Substitute for the
Natural Plant.
Many readers must have noticed the

| y
lately increased use of palm trees,
large and small, for the ornamentation
! of restaurants, cafes, hotels, winter
gardens and concert halls, and also
their enhance prominence in the dec
Grafton of churches and private houses
for special occasions. 1t is not gen
orally known, however, that but few
of these are growing palms in their
natural condition, although some of
the latter are used for temporary pur-
poses by the floral decorators. Aside
from all considerations of expense and
also of climate, it is very difficult to
keep growing palms alive under arti-
fetal conditions, as they are espe-
cially liable to injury from gas and
tobacco smoke. If this difficulty has
not been met it has been greatly OBJ
waited by the introduction of semi
imitation palm. which is largely gen
uine, and which produces the general
effect of the living tree.
Over the doorway of store in
Brooklyn is the sign "NeverFading
Natural Palms" The proprietor of
the place, an enterprising young Ger
man, explains how it is that palms
are now so plentiful in the northern
part of this country. He was engaged
in his business in Berlin for eight
years, and came here little more
than two years ago. Upto the presen1
time he has had no competitor in the
United States, although Il few pre-
pared palms are still imported from
Germany, where the method of prep
aration originated about ten years
since. BY this method the palm leaves.
separated from the parent tree, and
often very dry after long transporta
tion from the native soil. receive a
chemical bath which renders them as
soft and pliab as when fresh. They
remain in This condition indefinitely.
and are unaffected. it is said. by any
temperature or atmosphere, whet her
hot or cold, dry or wet. Most of them
are subjected to a dyeing process
which gives them n permanent green
bright or dark. nearly resembling the
shade which characterized them orig
inally, according to the species of the
palm.
In the manufacture of prepared
palms only the leaves and the palm
fiber, or bark. are the materials which
come from tropical climes. The trunk
is pole or stick Of any wood not liza BILE
to rot, and around it is wrapped the
rough, brown palm fiber in loose folds
closely copied from nature. The leaves
are inserted in any place desired, and
arc easily detachable, so that when
they become dusty they can be pulled
out and cleaned with a soft sponge
and then either be replaced as before
or stuck on in new positions. accord
ing to the taste and fancy of the own
er. The larger plants are made in two
parts, the crown of the tree being sep
arate from the trunk. and to the tor
of which it is affixed by the insertion
of a plug attached to the crown o.
foliage.
The prices of prepared palms have a
wide range, according to size, number
of leaves. etc, from about one dollar
for plant two or three feet high
with only few leaves, up to SIS, 500
$25. $50 and S35. For $50 one can get
Latania elegans Is feet high, with 81
leaves, and for S25 a Latunia borbon
lea IA feet high, with IS leaves. 4
dwarf sabal, with 20 leaves, costs So
if Is feet high, and $35 if IS. A sag,
palm, 91e feet tall, can be bought 70,
$50, and one of from four to five fee1
for only nine dollars. \ live. growing
palm. of the same size as an imitation
which is worth $50, would probabI,
cost the purchaser about 5000. Al
the prepared palms have the lower par
of the stem, with it's superstition:
roots, imbedded in earth, usually il
a pot or wooden tub, to increase thu
resemblance of the plant or tree tt
nature. Hanging baskets are alst
furnished, which supply perpetua
greenery.
The use of prepared palms as per
, manent features of place has be
7 come especially popular in restau
rants. cafes, concert halls. and bee
) gardens, but it is also becoming ex
: tended in hotels. clubhouses, roof gar
l dens, photographic studios. and, t,
, some degree, in private dwellings. Fo
the temporary decoration of churche
: and other public places they are il
1 large demand, and considerable busi
5 ness in this line is done by the manu-
j. facturer himself. Partly as an ad
3 yertisement, the latter has recentl
. opened a palm garden at near-b,
J.. seaside resort, where specimens of hi
I products are extensively displayed
r He says that the demand for then
e has been steadily growing. and tha
: his trade this year will be three or fou
l.. times as much as last. Curiousl
enough, while he has done good busi
ness in New York and Brooklyn, tn
demand for prepared palms has bee
greater from the other large cite
throughout the country. He make
shipments to the big department store
in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Gin
cinnati, St. Louis and other place;
. and they are thence distributed t
retail purchasers.
The supply of materials for prepare
pain, manufacture in The United State