Dece.mbeu 10, 1903. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



l\9 



the iutrii-acies of their behavior in the 

 soil lie cultivates. — Gardeners' Maga- 

 zine. 



IT IS LA DETROIT. 



The new Breitmeyer rose was christ- 

 ened La Detroit, with appropriate cere- 

 monies, at the Hotel Cadillac, Detroit, 

 last Saturday afternoon, the christening' 

 beiujj by Katherine, the little daughter 

 of llr. and ilrs. Philij) Breitmeyer. 

 ilany well known Detroit people were 

 present, also a choice gathering of the 

 congenial spirits in the trade. 



The rose, a seedling of Bridesmaid and 

 Testout, originated with Charles Hopp, 

 of Grand Rapids, and was nameless until 

 Saturday. When John Breitmeyer 's Sons 

 bought the stock they offered a prize of 

 .$100 for the one who should suggest 

 the name eventually selected for it. It 

 is stated that 12.000 persons entered the 

 contest, the selection of the name beino 

 left to a committee of the Detroit Flor- 

 ists' Club. 



The visiting members of the craft were 

 most hospitably entertained and were af- 

 forded the opportunity to see the rose 

 growing at the greenhouses at Mt. Clem- 

 en.?. It is to be distributed next Aiiril. 



THE LAELIAS. 



This is a very tine genus, and some of 

 our most useful orchids belong to it, such 

 species as L. autumnalis, L. anceps and 

 L. purpurata, being among the finest sub- 

 jects for cut flower work. LaeUas are 

 nearly allied to the cattleyas, aoid many 

 of them succeed well with similar condi- 

 tions of culture and environment, though 

 the Mexican laelias nearly all require 

 more sunlight, and will be found to flowei- 

 better if grown up in the ridge of the 

 house, where the breeze from the ventiln- 

 tor blows through them. Laelias and cat- 

 tleyas cross readUy, the resulting hy- 

 brids being known as Laelio-cattleyas. 

 These are now becoming very numerous, 

 and some of them are magnificent things 

 and command high prices. While cat- 

 tleyas have only four pollen masses, 

 laelias have eight, and this seems to be 

 the distinguishing mark between the 

 genus. Laelias are ditficult subjects to 

 establish when first imported, or at least 

 that has been my experience, but when 

 once got into a growing condition they 

 ■"■ill flourish satisfactorily for years. 



The giant of the whole genus is L. 

 purpurata, which grows over two feet 

 high and produces flowers eight inches 

 across. These are borne on a twelve-inch 

 stem, generally four or five flowers to 

 a stem. This species grows well under 

 the treatment usually accorded cattleyas. 

 It should be grown in a pot and given 

 lots of room, for it is a tremendously 

 strong grower. Fine specimens are yearly 

 imported from Belgium growing in leaf 

 .soil, and apparently enjoying it. but for 

 the general cultivator we would say stick 

 to the peat as a potting medium, with an 

 annual top dressing of moss. We hope 

 to refer to the question of growing or- 

 chids in leaf mold at some future time, 

 when some experiments are concluded. At 

 present some growers are getting good 

 results from its use, and others are get- 

 ting no results at all. The whole matter 

 seems to liinge on the personal ability to 

 be careful in watering. 



To return to our immediate subject, 

 L. purpurata, we would say that its only 

 objection in our eyes lies in the fact that 

 it tiowers in jMay and June, when orchid 

 flowers are, alas, already too plentiful in 



A Basket of Chatenay and Carnot Roses. 



the markets (due principally to the im- 

 mense quantity of Cattelya Mossise com- 

 ing in at that time). Still L. purpurata 

 holds. its own in any company, its rich 

 purple crimson lip being very strikina 

 among a mass of cattleya flowers. It is 

 a native of Brazil. 



Next in importance for general use 

 possibly is L. autumnalis. This is a 

 Mexican laelia and needs an abundance 

 of water when growing with a long sev- 

 ere season of rest after flowering. Grow 

 it in a basket, or on a block of wooti, 

 and keep in a light, airy position. As 

 its name implies, L. autumnalis flowers 

 in the fall and can be had just right for 

 the holidays. The flowers are very fra- 

 grant, almost too much so, in fact, as 

 the odor from a large bunch is almost 

 overpowering. L. autumnalis is a use- 

 ful, profitable orchid to grow, and the 

 flowers command a ready sale. 



L. anceps, which is another Jlexican 

 species of great value, has many hand- 

 some white forms in its varieties, as alba, 

 Dawsoni, Stella, etc. The typical flow- 

 ers of L. anceps are rosy lilac, with a 

 deep purple lip, and are produced in 

 January. This plant, in its native home, 

 it is said, gets drenched by rain everv 

 night during its growing season, and it 

 is recommended to spray in the evening 

 under cultivation, to imitate somewhat 

 the natural conditions. 



Laelia albida is another Mexican 

 species and general cultural notes apply. 



This species has a fine, long stem which 

 carries six to eight flowers. The petals 

 and sepals are white and the lip rose 

 colored. The flowers have a very dis- 

 tinctive odor, wliich has been compared 

 to that given out by the leaves of the 

 primula when cmshe<l in the hand. L. 

 albida should be grown cool. 



Laelia Jongheana is a very distinct 

 species from Brazil. It was for a long 

 while very rare, l)ut recent large importa- 

 tions have made it comparatively well 

 known. The bulbs are small and stout, 

 and the flowers are, for a laelia, very 

 large. The flowers are flat, with very 

 handsome sepals and petals being of a 

 rose purple color and the lip bordered 

 with a deeper purple. They are pro- 

 duced in March, generally from two to 

 five flowers on a stem and last a' long 

 time if kept dry. We recently saw :i 

 batch growing in leaf soil that were 

 in splendid condition. These plants were 

 on a shelf close to the glass and were 

 never watered, the top dressing of moss 

 being kept slightly moistened. Some 

 growers have tried the same method and 

 been forced to repot their plants in peat 

 or lose them altogether. 



Laelia flava also comes from Brazil 

 and has small, tapering bulbs of a reil- 

 dish color. The flower spike, which is 

 carried well erect, bears generally from 

 eisrlit to ten flowers, which are small but 

 of a bright canary yellow. While the 

 flowers are very small the species has 



