The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-23

flower industry, and man named Bor- genski, who is entitled to rank with the scene painters in several recent produe- tions, became necessary ally to the managers. MT Borgenski is an artist in his line, and he set about getting flowers that should be something more than a palpable imitation. Any one who has seen MT. Savage's production of Farsi fal," for instance, will realize what he has achieved
 The garden set in "Parsifal' was a mass of flowers and foliage and the scene plot was worked out by the flower maker as well as by the scene painter; his part was as great if not greater. than the painters. And there was not a paper flower or leaf in the whole mass. There was not bit of foliage or a petal that was not an accurate copy of some natural product. These flowers were all made of muslin or velvet, painted and dyed by hand. The cost of such a set. of course, Is heavy-probably that scene in 'Parsifal' cost well over 5000 for the flowers and foliage alone. But the soli- dity and naturalness achieved are worth the cost, as such managers as MT. Saw age and MT Belasco realize. Cheaper flowers are still used in many produc- tions, though paper as a material has passed away in all plays which make any claim to the firt rank.
 The cost and labor required to put these flowers on the stage Is surprising. For instance, take the grass mat which covers the whole stage at the Hippo drome for the West Point parade ground scene. This mat cost $6000. One could all most seed down the fair green of a nine- hole golf course for that price. There are two thousand square yards in this mat, and a square yard of good stage grass costs 8.
 Work Earned Out to Convents.
 It Is made by weaving up through a cord rug, by hand strips of tough grass, which has to be imported from Mada- gascar. No other grass is tough and and long enough to stand the wear Then the mat has to be trimmed to the proper length to represent a cropped lawn. and the whole dipped first In a green dye and then in fireproofing Every bit of stage scenery and foliage has to be fire proofed now, and sometimes when the job is done in a hurry the players at night get their feet wet and colds re- suit.
 Of course, no two plays call for ex- actly the same flowers, and a man is constantly employed designing from bo- tanical plates the machine dies to cut out the new flowers from the muslin, anu III i1idhliB InoutiS 1oI Alt ShlS to work from in coloring the blossom or leaf after it Is wired and fastened to the bush. The largest and best manufacturer in this city employs Frenchman to do this, as the French, next. perhaps. to the Japanese, are still the most artistic man ufacturers of artificial flowers.
 This same firm. which makes most of the flowers for the big managers and also decorates for such functions as the Hyde ball. employs fifty persons in the final preparation of the flowers for the work. It also imports flowers from France, Japan and Germany-though this is expensive, the duty being 50 per cent-and farms out much work to convents. One of the industries that the convent inmates are employed in es- pecially is the making of fir trees. The foliage of the fir tree is of course, com posed of tiny green needles projecting thickly around a central stem. and the convent labor consists of binding these needles around the stem. The stems thus prepared are bought by the flower maker by the yard and by him cut up and built into trees. It is fine and patient labor and the manufacturer is glad to get it done for him.
 Roses Made of Rice Fibre.
 new invention. however, has re- gently come out of Germany which may change all this. A German doctor has invented chemical solution which, when