DECEMBER 15, 1S98. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



55 



Cattleya Mossiae. 



of Europe. That "peat" is the surface 

 soil, where some of the ericas are or 

 have been growing, and after the vege- 

 table matter has been shal<en out it is 

 merely a lump of fibrous roots of no 

 fertilizing benefit, but merely a me- 

 chanical medium. 1 uis quality of peat 

 is seldom found here, but a very good 

 substitute is found in the chopped-up 

 fibrous roots of our strong growing 

 native ferns, a good quality of which 

 is sold by several firms, and this is the 

 "peat" referred to below. 



I trust the would-be grower of or- 

 chids will dispel from his mind the 

 idea that there is any secret or mys- 

 tery in growing orchids. The cardinal 

 qualities that will grow a house of 

 roses will grow orchids — attention to 

 the requirements of the plants, clean- 

 liness, air, light, moisture, but above 

 all with orchid study, the time and 

 length of time the plants need resting. 

 The latter is the most essential part of 

 orchid culture. 



The following cultural directions 

 have been prepared and written by Mr. 

 Wm. Hewson, whom I now have the 

 honor to employ. He began his orchid 

 experience with the fine collection at 

 Goodwood, the grand home of the 

 Duke of Richmond, afterwards being 

 constantly associated with orchid cul- 



ture in several places in the vicinity ot 

 London. After arriving in this coun- 

 try he was the practical cultivator of 

 the wonderful collection of Mrs. Mor- 

 gan, of New York, during the last 

 three years of its existence. Since 

 that time and always he has been an 

 orchid enthusiast, and they have never 

 been absent from his charge. What 

 he says about them is plain and to 

 the point, and can be understood by 

 all, and I have proof, and with the 

 utmost confidence say, that every word 

 of his can be confidently relied upon 

 and followed. WM. SCOTT. 



Best Orchids for Commercial Purposes. 



All baskets or racks should be made 

 of red cedar, or narawood. and should 

 be put together with copper wire or 

 copper nails, to prevent rusting. 



AERIDES.— This beautiful genus is 

 a native of India and the Indian archi- 

 pelago, and requires a rather high 

 temperature. They can be successfully 

 grown suspended from the roof of a 

 palm house, where a temperature of 

 60 to 65 degrees can be maintained 

 during the winter months. Their rest- 

 ing season is from about November to 

 March, after which period the tem- 



perature can rise 10 or 15 degrees as 

 the growing season advances. They 

 can be grown in either pots or bas- 

 kets, but I prefer the latter. Fill the 

 pots or baskets two - thirds full of 

 clean broken potsherus or charcoal; 

 place your plant well up and finish off 

 with a good top dressing of live, clean 

 sphagnum moss. Care should be tak- 

 en to keep the plants clean; remove all 

 decayed matter from their roots and 

 replace with fresh when occasion re- 

 quires. Give a liberal supply of water 

 during their growing season; in fact, 

 they should never be allowed to be- 

 come dry, or the leaves will shrivel. 

 The white and brown scale are deadly 

 enemies to this class of plants, and 

 should be watched for, or the plants 

 will soon become useless. 



Aerides Fieldingii, a very free flow- 

 ering species with bright, rose colored 

 spikes, commonly called the fox-brush 

 orchid'. It generally blooms during 

 June and July and lasts about three 

 weeks in perfection. 



Aerides crispum. another beautiful 

 species, a free bloomer and of easy 

 culture. This variety grows best in a 

 basket suspended from the roof, 

 blooms in summer, and the flowers 

 have a very pleasing odor. 



Aerides Lobbii, a dwarf growing 

 species, does well in a basket, blooms 

 during June and July, the spikes o£ 

 pink flowers from 12 to 18 inches long 

 and perfectly round. This is a grand 

 variety. 



Aerides odoratum majus, a grand 

 old variety, very free bloomer, beauti- 

 ful, aromatic odor, flowers in summer, 

 lasting about two weeks in perfection; 

 should find a place in every collec- 

 tion. 



ANGRAbCUM.— This peculiar genus 

 requires the same treatment as aerides, 

 only they all grow best in pots and 

 require abundance of drainage and 

 plenty of moisture during their grow- 

 ing season which is about the same as 

 that of the aerides. A little good 

 fibrous peat can be used with the 

 sphagnum tor pottmg. They are most- 

 ly natives of Madagascar. The follow- 

 ing I consider the best varieties for 

 commercial purposes: 



Angraecum eburneum. gi-eenish- 

 white fiowers, very sweet and very 

 large, strong spikes; blooms during 

 the winter months, 



Angraecum sesquipedale. This spe- 

 cies 1 consider the best of the genus. 

 It is a good grower and has large, 

 peculiarly-formed flowers, with long 

 white tails of ivory whiteness, and 

 very fragrant. I have seen these tails 

 from 10 to 15 inches long. It blooms 

 in winter. 



Angraecum Ellisii, another fine spe- 

 cies, with immense flower spikes of 

 pure white color, lip a cinnamon 

 brown; very sweet scented. 



CALANTHE.— A terrestrial orchid, 

 and many are also deciduous. They are 

 best grown in pots, well drained, and 

 the bulbs well elevated. Pot in a com- 

 post of good fibrous loam, some well 

 rotted cow manure, a little good, sharp 



