Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-29
ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS
AN INDUSTRY IN WHICH MANY
WOMEN ARE EMPLOYED.
New York City Is the Center Of the
Trade-Fifty Factories Near
West Broadway.
From Leslie's Weekly.

From Leslie's Weekly.
One Of the most interesting Industries in
New York city where women and girls are
employed Is that of artificial flower man
ufacture. 1t is only within the last few
years that this branch Of production has
gained any Importance in America; for to
initiate natures floral handiwork with a
delicacy and skill to compete with the I'M
ported article involved SO much time and
outlay Of capital that the American man.
ufacturers fought shy of it, and freely
gave the privilege of supplying the de-
mand Of this country to France where the
making of artificial flowers IL almost a
national industry. However. America be-
ing one Of the largest consumers of this
particular manufacture local makers fin
ally began to take advantage Of the high
tariff, and now there is serious rivalry
in the quality workmanship and price OF
the imported article, with the result that
a great deal of American money which
every season was sent to France Is now
kept at home. In New York city, the CEN
ter Of the flower industry in this country,
there are some fifty factories scattered on
and about West Broadway, each employ
ing from fifty to seventy-hve girls during
the season. An interesting fact concern
Ing the growth of the artificial mower
manufacture in this city is that the lead
ing makers count their millinery trade as
only very small part of their business,
the greater number of workers being put
upon flowers for the stage trade and also
blossoms to adorn the homes of the rich,
and for decorations at great public balls,
elaborate fetes and dinners.
Ball Room Decoration.
The ball room which was the scene last
winter Of James H. Hyde's now famous
French costume ball was decorated with
artificial flowers. and so have been many
others. Artificial flowers had certain
vogue at Newport last season, and now
in all the smart drawing rooms, where the
income of the host might we'll warrant
the use of fresh blossoms, are roses or
batiste and silk, and orchids of silk and
velvet so skillfully put together that a
few feet away it would be impossible to
discover the deception. They are not cheap,
these dainty manufactured blossoms the
American beauty roses costing all the way
from two 10 four dollars each, and the
orchids and other flowers, including great
feathery chrysanthemums, are compare
lively high priced; but the economy comes
in using the flowers over and over again
their lasting qualities and their natural
ness saving hundreds of dollars to one VINO
entertains much during the season. Usu-
ally in connection with the artificial flow
ers some genuine flowers are used in order
to make the deception complete. Many OF
the large hotels, and also private houses,
that seem to flaunt red geraniumS in their
window boxes in summer are supplied by
the manufacturers of artificial flowers.
The best artificial flower makers are stu
dents Of floral botany: In many instances
natural flowers are furnished as models
until q satisfactory degree of perfection
has been attained In the fac-simile. The
show room of a flower factory Is like an
exhibition of rare cut blossoms In tail
vases American beauty roses nod and
sway with each passing draught. Jacque
and tea roses are there in profusion, ana
so natural are they that the observer
1,-it ca
of the flowers on display in the show
windows of the leading New fork tloflsts
are made in the factory. and from the dis
lance from which they must perforce pc
viewed they cannot be told by the casual
observer, at least, from genuine blossoms.
For the Stage.
About eighteen years ago the use OF man
ufactured flowers for the stage was begun.
The flowers were pretty shabby limitations
and they were also dangerous flre-catchers,
for the material from which they were
made consisted Of cheap muslin and. very
often, paper Now, artificial flowers and
foliage and their makers are Just as nee
essary and as important to the stage as
are the scenes and their painters. The
Darling of the Gods" SO deliberately stag
ed last season, furnished a good illustration
of the artificial flowers Importance to the
theater. The garden scene in "Parsifal"
was mass of flowers and foliage, and the
scene plot was worked out by the flower
maker as well as by the scene painter;
and in this particular setting his part was
as great as, If not greater than, that Of
the painters. Needless to say, in these days
of fire preventives in theaters, flowers made
of paper are white elephants on the mar
ket. Batiste, silk, velvet and muslin are
dyed, then dipped in fire. proofing, after
which some of them are painted and tinted
by hand. For the flowers and foliage alone
the "Parsifar' set cost about one thousand
dollars. But this is a low price compared
with what the natural products would have
cost.
Stage grass IS another expensive neces-
sity- Tough grass, especially brought from
Madaga scar-for no other grass is strong
enough to be used for this-is woven
through cord rug After the grass has
been trimmed to lawn length and dipped
in freproofing and is ready for the stage
1t commands the very good price Of three
dollars square foot. The manufacture Of
stage vegetables also has sprung up with
In the last few years, and has so grown
In favor that hundreds of employees are now
busy the year round making them These
carrots, pumpkins, corn, turnips and cab
base are not only sold to stage managers
who go in for realistic farm scenes, but
also FOR society purposes Many Of the barn
dances and other country enterta inments
given by very wealthy people are decorated
with vegetables from the factory. which
always remain fresh in appearance and
have no disagreeable odors due to willing
and decay.