FLORISTS' PUBLISHINQ CO., 530-535 Caxloo Building, CHICAQO. 



Vol. I. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, JANUARY 13, J 898. 



No. 7. 



CATTLEYA NOTES- 



During the past month, or I should say, 

 since the supply of C. labiata flowers 

 have somewhat fallen off, and before C. 

 Trianit got fairh' under way, the demand 

 for cattleya flowers was quite in excess of 

 the supply, and I have no hesitation in 

 predicting that another year the scarcity 

 will be more apparent, unless the pro- 

 ducer endeavors to fill up the gap by the 

 addition to his stock of some varieties 

 that will flower during the inter\'al. Of 

 course you hesitate because no one but 

 the select few can indulge in such ex- 

 uberance but the scarcity occurs just at a 

 lime when those few are in a mood to en- 

 tertain, and of course they want, in fact 

 will have, something to adorn their 

 boudoirs and dinner tables, that cannot be 

 procured at street corners or sidewalk 

 floral establishments; be assured the 

 cattleya will be called upon, even to the 

 verge of extravagance. 



Jly intention here at present is to call 

 the attention of the growers to sonithing 

 that will put them in a position to meet 

 those demands. Before you proceed, it 

 would be well to consult some old catt- 

 leya grower on the merits of Cattleya 

 chocoensis. He may look a little wise 

 and say, "That's no good, it doesn't 

 open its flowers, etc." However, I 

 would advise you to acquiesce with the 

 usual smile or nod, as cattleya grow-ers 

 are all cranks, you know, and have no 

 use for a flower unless it's "just so." 

 But the consumer will have use for this 

 one, and Mr. J. E. Lager, of Lager & 

 Hurrell, nnist have had an e\e to this 

 fact, for when out collecting a year or so 

 ago, in direct opposition to the accepted 

 ideas of his firm, he shipped a quantity 

 of this beautiful cattleya home. Thi-j 

 variety is somewhat companulate in the 

 formation of its flowers; by which I 

 mean, the}- appear only half open, the 

 petals not spreading out as those of other 

 species, but I do not consider this detri- 

 mental to its conimt rcial value. 



When calling recentl\- at Lager & Hur- 

 rell 's, I noted two plants in flower, and 



Cattleya Percivaliana. 



though showing a little of the character- 

 istic mentioned, were certainly flowers 

 that no florist would decry or refuse to 

 handle. The typical color of this catt- 



leya is pure white in sepals and petals, 

 with crimson of varying degrees of inten- 

 sity in the lips The pureness of the 

 white parts of the flower alone, gives it 



