FLOWERS, Artificial. There are few branches of ornamental work used in the decoration of ladies’ apparel which have more increased in importance than that of artificial flower making, in which, both in France and in England, large numbers of workpeople are engaged. Not only has the trade itself greatly extended within the last few years, but the improvement in the manufacture is very marked, and the bouquets and wreaths used in the trimming of dresses may be almost said to rival nature, so truly and delicately are the individual flowers manipulated. Artificial flower making is almost entirely done by hand, giving occupation principally to young women and children, the majority of whom work at home or in small shops. The numbers employed at the time of the census of 1871 were returned as 4886, of whom 1740 were under twenty years of age. In France the numbers are much larger, for ten years ago it was estimated that there were at least 2000 shops where artificial flowers were made, and it is probable that now these have been increased to 3000. It is not entirely a woman’s work, however, for men are employed, particularly in Paris, in cutting out the material for the flowers by a stamp machine, in which 16 or 20 folds are operated upon at once, the folds being coloured green, blue, crimson, according to the flower which is to be imitated. Each piece is taken up separately by a girl armed with a pair of pincers, who, with one dexterous movement, moulds it, as it were, roughly into the shape of the flower, and then passes it on to another who gives a more precise form to the petal. A third girl attaches each petal to a very fine wire, thread having been previously twisted round this wire to form the stalk; while the remaining operations consist in goffering the petals ...