Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-08
PREPARING FGRGASTER
FLOWERS TIMED TOY BLOSSOM
NEXT SUNDAY.
How Florists Have Learned to Force
or Retard the Growth
Of Plants.


Easter Sunday being the ielimax, as we'll
as the practical end of their season, so
far as society is concerned. The princi-
pal market during the winter comes from
the demand made upon the. florists for So
cial functions of every nature, of which
Washington has an abundance, then for
the period of forty days during Lent there
is decided lull. closing with a skyrocket
flourish. Plants that at other seasons
could be bought for a song at Eastertide
bring fancy prices
Zone of the most interesting features
of the florists business Is the timing of
the blossoming of certain flowers to meet
the requirements for church services on
Easter" said one of the scientists of the
Agricultural Department to a Star reporter.
Can Be Calculated to Day.
$50 carefully have florists studied the
system that by forcing the plants or re-
tarding their growth by the Withholding
of water or sunshine they can calculate
to a nicely the exact date, sometimes far
in the future, upon which certain plant
will burst into blossom. Long experience
in this line has enabled the florist in many
instances to decorate church with plants
bearing buds the day prior to Easter and
have them open their blossoms on Easter
morning. To the uninitiated this state
u,
Horticulture has been reduced to an ex-
act science, which enables us to calculate
the precise time required for the plant
to blossom after it has put forth it's first
leaves. Naturally we have to make al
lowances for the condition of the plant
upon which we experimenting but
only in the case of unhealthy specimens
are we ever more than day out of the
way Owing to the increase in prices of
blossoming plants at Easter time the flor
list withhodS from the market his choicest
varieties, and the desire for novelty has
large influence with foriculturists to
experiment with new cuttings and new va
rieties of plants.
1T is, however, extremely rare that an
actual novelty is produced. Occasionally a
new rose or a hybrid orchid makes it's ap-
pearance and coincident sensation, and the
producer invariably has made a small for
tune on the results of his work Our rec
ords show that in the case of a single nov
city the owner made So 600 from the seeds
alone within few years. The most famous
OF these novelties In plants was the Lawson
carnation, introduced in Boston some years
ago by gentleman of wealth who declined
$1,000 for the original plant. Cuttings were
sent to many parts of the country and a
great deal of money was paid for them.
The Most Expensive Flower.
What is perhaps the most expensive
flower used at Easter Is the Bougainvillen,
the beautiful purple flowers of which bloom
throughout the entire year in California
and Bermuda, of which lands 1t is native
Although it has never become extremely
popular with flower lovers in the United
states, yet 1T sells very well for from IS to
NO Tor each plant. A4aleas rank next In
popularity, although they can be bought as
low as 81 plant. Specially fine specimens,
however, bring as much as $35 Followinf,
these, lilies at % cents bud, genestas
at from 20 cents to IS each. the delicate
ante nr,1
tulips and hyacinths at the latter price are
the special favorites for decorating the
churches :
There is a growing demand for the beau
t1ful yellow genesta, and the florist who is
a far-seeing, experienced business man is
nursing the opportunity of making a great
deal of money which is sure to come. He
is also watching very carefully the growth
in popularity of hyacfnths, tulips pink and
white heather and calais. ~
The Bermuda Lily.
THE Bermuda lily naturally stands pre-
eminent as an Easter flower, it's great
trumpet-shaped blossom making one of the
most attractive of the floral decorations on
Easter. 1t seems from long experience
that the demand for these flowers will con-
tinue to grow. and year after year more
and more are brought to this country from
bermuda, where they are cultivated in
immense fields covering hundreds Of acres
Pans containing half dozen or double
that number of these lilies cost from So to
$40 apiece, and it has long been the ambi-
ton of the florists of this country to I'M
port the plants themselves from Bermuda
and acclimate them to this country. These
efforts have generally been very unsatis-
factory, and it is hardly likely that the
prices will fall"
Church Decorations.
Easter floral decorations being as much
a part of the season in the churches as the
pine tree and holly are for Christmas In the
home, 1t appears that the custom Of elab-
crate preparations for the supreme ecclesi-
astical event Of the year is a growing Gus
tom, and every church, particularly those
OF the Catholic and Protestant Episcopal
denominations, enters into friendly rivalry
with the other in this respect. Thousands
OF dollars are every year devoted to this
that the world may read in the beautiful
blossoms the story of the risen Christ.
Some or the churches of Washington are
preparing to decorate their interiors in
manner more beautiful than ever before
attempted here and orders to the florists
nave been on the books of these happy
merchants for many weeks, and in some
instances months.