348 



The Weekly Florists^ Review, 



Jani AUV 20. l.Sfts. 



across the central chain of the Cordilleras, 

 up the Cauca vallej', recrossing the 

 mountains back to the starting place; a 

 route that he spent two and one-half 

 years in traversing. He demonstrated 

 the localized distribution of the different 

 and best known species each with one or 

 two minor exceptions confined to its own 

 area and separated by hundreds of miles 

 from any other cattleya, so that the col- 

 lecting of any species demanded a special 

 journey for that alone and as in the case 

 of Cattleya Schrodene, the expenses of 

 the journey were the rnling'factor in fix- 

 ing the selling price. It is one of the 

 most plentiful cattleyas to-day yet one 

 of the most expensive. 



While explaining the immensity of the 

 country- he wished to dispel the idea that 

 it was all cattlej'a ground. Just as soon 

 as you get below the foothills of the 

 Cordillera you searched in vain for the 

 vestige of orchid life. At elevations of 

 from 2,000 to 4,000 feet the cattleyas were 

 niosth' found liut the odontoglossnnis 

 had a much wider range. O. vexillariuni 

 being found up to as hi.gh as 6,000 feet, 

 while in crossing the Cordillera he had 

 found O. ramosissimum at an elevation of 

 I2,oonfeet, where far above the zone of 

 tree growth it had adapted itself to con- 

 ditions and grew freely on low bushes 

 less than a yard in height, some plants 

 even on the ground itself and not merely 

 subsisting but thriving healthily witli 

 flower spikes as long as a walking stick. 



At the close of his remarks the lecturer 

 was a.sked numerous questions on the con- 

 ditions of life, etc., in those latitudes to 

 which he gave interesting replies, while 

 all present unite<l in a hearty expres.sion 

 of appreciation of the intellectual treat 

 afforded. H. 



WASHINGTON. 



Resolutions. -i 



The last meeting of the Commercial 

 Florists' Association was, as usual, well 

 attended, despite the stormy night. After 

 the reading of the minutes by the secre- 

 tar)-, which were amended and adopted, 

 the rules were suspended, and, on mo- 

 tion, the application of Mr. Adolphus 

 Gude was taken up, and he was uani- 

 mously elected to membership. 



The committee appointed to draft a 

 bill to congress made its report, and after 

 a long and full discussion the following 

 was adopted and ordered to be introduced 

 in congress at once: 



"That hereafter it shall be unlawful for 

 any person in charge of any establishment 

 in the District of Columbia supported in 

 whole or in part by the United States, or 

 for any of his subordinates, to appropri- 

 ate to his own use, loan, distribute gra- 

 tuitously, or sell, or offer fof sale, in the 

 District, any products of greenhouses or 

 grounds under his charge. 



"Provided that nothing in this act shall 

 be construed as prohibiting the president 

 of the United States from using at his 

 pleasure, the products of the White House 

 conservatories and grounds. 



"And provided further, that nothing in 

 this act shall prevent the secretary of 

 agriculture from distributing any new or 

 rare plants not in general cultivation. 



"Violators of this act or any of its pro- 

 visions shall be subject to dismissal from 

 the government .service." 



A committee was appointed to draft a 

 circular letter to l)e sent to all florists' 

 clubs in the country. The same commit- 

 tee was also instructed to wait on the 

 Board of Trade with the view of securing 

 its co-operation. 



Messrs. Field's Orchids. 



During the past three or four years 

 Messrs. Field Bros, have been collecting 

 orchids until now a fine collection, taking 

 up nearly half of their large establish- 

 ment, is the result. Five houses two 

 hundred feet long are almost entirely 

 devoted to orchids, and all in perfect 

 health. In one house there were two 

 benches devoted to C. Triante with hund- 

 reds of flowers; C. Mendelii in fine 

 shape and promising well for a .good 

 crop; then came a fine tiatch of C. Skin- 

 nerii, followed by a grand lot of C. Gas- 

 kelliana and C. labiata in superb health; 

 then followed a part of a bench with 

 about fifty plants of C. speciosissima with 

 flowers eight to ten inches across. Oncid- 

 ium splendidum, with spikes three feet 

 high; next a large quantity of Vanda 

 crerulea in full bloom with t:dl graceful 

 spikes w-ell flowered; Cymbidium eburn- 

 eum coming in flower; C. Mossi;e, show- 

 ing well for a fine crop; following came a 

 bench each of Pilunma fragrans and 

 Ccelogyne cristata in flower. 



Among dendrobiums there were 

 about one thousand formosum, also 

 quantity of Phalaenopsis Schilleriana, 

 Wardianum, nobile, Findleyanum and 

 Jamesianum. One house was devoted to 

 cypripediums which were in full flower. 

 Messrs. Field Bros, state with a few varie- 

 ties, the demand is not equal to the sup- 

 ply. 



Their roses were in good health and 

 from the quality and quantity of bloom 

 show careful growing and judicious feed- 

 ing. Their "bete noir" is carnatiotis, 

 hard luck attending them. In one house 

 McGowans all died outright with stem 

 rot, though other varieties looked fairly 

 well. 



A Quiet Week. 



The week has been very quiet with the 

 trade with the exception of an occasional 

 ball. One of these was given by the 

 Leiters at which there were one or two 

 little decorative groups that were very 

 effective. The center of one group being 

 a fine Kentia Forsteriana sixteen feet tall 

 and as much in spread of foliage; another, 

 a mound of Farlej-ense, cattleyas and 

 dendrobiums in variety and Ccelogyne 

 cristata. 



The price list remains the same as the 

 past week, quantities of good valley on 

 hand without takers. 



Reply fo Criticism. 



In reply to the criticisms in regard to 

 the statement I made in my last letter 

 about the free distribution of plants and 

 the law in reference to it, it is only a 

 question of interpretation. I concede 

 there is a law for the agricultural depart- 

 ment to distribute new and rare plants; 

 that is what that department was estab- 



lished for. But I do not interpret it to- 

 mean they shall send latanias, kentias, 

 araucarias, and azaleas to private homes, 

 as the agent who purchased the plants 

 for the department stated that they 

 were intended for. Also the offi- 

 cial seal stated they were to be paid 

 for out of the fund for the "free distribu- 

 tion of valuable seeds." These plants 

 were purchased for the sole and express 

 purpose of sending to members of con- 

 gress when they arrived here, and to a 

 favored few office holders. If the Wash- 

 ington correspondent of the Exchange 

 can prove a law exists to so dispose of 

 good plants I will retract. Until then I 

 have nothing to take back. W. H K. 



BOSTON. 



Weekly Exhibition at Horticultural Hall. 



John Mutch, gardener to J. E. Roth- 

 well, Esq., Longwood, showed some ex- 

 ceedingly fine orchids, among which may 

 be mentioned Odontoglossum Wilcke- 

 anum, with twenty-one flowers on a 

 .spike, also a very fine Odontoglossum 

 crispum, finely marked; Cypripedium 

 Leeanum Maesereelianum, a very fine 

 plant with nineteen growths and ten 

 flowers; C.vp. Bellona, a verj' choice 

 variety; also Cyp. Ceres, very fine; for 

 which collection he was awarded a 

 gratuity. 



Mr._ Clinkaberry, gardener to C. G. 

 Roebling, Trenton, N. J., exhibited a 

 mon.strous flowered Cattleya Clinka- 

 berryana, for which he was awarded a 

 silver medal. The flower measured 

 eight and one-half inches across, petals 

 four inches wide and two and three- 

 quarter inches across the lip, a splendid 

 color, and of good substance for so large 

 a flower. 



Carl Blomberg, gardener for Oakes 

 Ames, North Easton, showed a collec- 

 tion of cattleyas, among which was 

 the beautiful variety, Cattleya Trian;e 

 var. "Lilian Chatman," for which he 

 was deser\'edly awarded with thesocietv's 

 silver medal. Lager A: Hurrell, Summit, 

 N. J., also show^ed two very fine spikesof 

 Cattleya Trian;e, large flowers and very 

 fine color. James Coniley, superintendent 

 for the Hayes estate, Lexington, also 

 sln>wed three vases of a seedling acacia, 

 of which he says grandis is the parent; it 

 is certainly a very fine varietj' and would 

 be a useful florists' flower; also some 

 Cattleya Trianit spikes, for which he was 

 awarded a gratuity. 



Seed Trade. 



The seed trade is beginning to move 

 lively and good business is reported. 

 The principal seed houses say their 

 catalogues will be ready in short order, 

 but the first to issue is that of R. & J. 

 Farquhar & Co. 



Mr. John K. L. M. Farquhar, of Far- 

 quhar Bros., .seedmen, delivered a very 

 able lecture before the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, last Saturday, on 

 Holland, its floriculture, and public parks, 

 illustrated with nearly 150 stereopticoii 

 views. The meeting was very largel}' at- 

 tended. 



