March IG, 1907 



H O K T I C U L T U R E 



335 



Dendrobium thyrsiflomm 



(See Frontispiece.) 



The position oi first place among orcliid specios is 

 claimed, by many orchidists, for some favorite and it 

 is usually the case that their choice is determined by the 

 degree of success attained in bringing that particular 

 species up to a high state of cultural perfection. Of 

 course it is impossible to determine what orchid is the 

 l)est or most useful, as tliat depends entirely upon the 

 use made of it, but I believe 1 will have many ardent 

 supporters in the statement that, for conservatory dec- 

 oration at least, a well grown specimen of D. thyrsi- 

 florum, such as the accompanying illustration shows, 

 stands very near the head of the list. This plant was 

 raised by the writer at the ilissouri Botanical Garden, 

 and will go far to show that the spcciniens raised in 

 botanical gardens are not as microscopical as is usually 

 supposed. 



D. thyrsiflorum is seldom seen in large specimens, as 

 they are often neglected before attaining large size. 

 ']'he species grows with considerable ease and if a few 

 cardinal points are borne in mind, success will be at- 

 tained. D. thyrsiflomm is a Burmese orchid and re- 

 (juires extreme heat during the growing season. It is 

 not a deciduous dendrobium and although it should 

 have a very decided resting period, yet it should not be 

 allowed to lose all of its leaves. A good rule to follow 

 IS, to allow it to drop all of the leaves made prior to 

 the current year's growth. When the eyes begin to 

 swell, water should be given in gradually increasing 

 quantities, applied, not at the roots, but by briskly syr- 

 inging the dry canes to help the flower buds break 

 through. 



One of the peculiar features about the culture of this 

 orchid is that the same number of blooms are not pro- 

 duced each year. It is usually the case that after a year 

 of li'^avy flower ]iroduction, there will be a short crop, 

 and so on in altermite years. This is because some 

 flower spikes are produced from wood three years old, 

 and in a heavy crop all the latent. buds produce flowers, 

 lience the short crop in the succeeding year. 



The hot summers of this country, and particularly in 

 St. Louis, make ideal conditions for all hot house 

 orchids, such as dendroliiums. phalaenopsis, catasetums. 

 etc., while, on the other hand the beautiful cool orchids, 

 such as odontoglossums, masdevallias, and other little 

 gems are usually short lived, and it is for this reason 

 that so few of this class are to l)e found in the extensive 

 collection of orchids of the Missouri' Botanical Garden, 

 which numbers about one thousand species and varieties 

 among which are some unique specimens. It is often 

 the case that the tiny and little known orchids lay 

 claim to being the most beautiful. 



The Apple Orchard 



After the trees become dormant it is an excellent 

 plan to utilize some of the spare time that falls to the 

 lot of all in agricultural lines during the winter to put 

 the orchard into shape. 



In pruning old trees that are bearing fairly good 

 crops but have never been cut before, it is not advisable 

 to remove large limbs, sacrifice much wood, or inaugu- 

 rate some great change of policy. In trees of this kind 

 winter pruning will consist in a judicious thinning of 

 the thick portions by cutting out branches which cross 



or those which bear little fruiting wood, — fruit spurs, — 

 and in opening up the head to admit air and sunshine. 



Tliere is always a tendency to cut off too much wood 

 below and not enough at the top of the tree, so that in 

 time it becomes too high, the fruit being borne up in 

 the topmost branches, difficult to spray and hard to 

 pick. Old dead branches must be removed. The best 

 cut for these and for large branches is one made paral- 

 lel to the remaining limb or the trunk — depending on 

 what is cut off — sawing through the "shoulder" at the 

 base of the branch. This e.xposes a larger surface than 

 a cut made at right angles to the branch, but it will 

 heal over much more rapidly. Above all do not leave 

 a stub projecting, for this in decaying will leave one 

 of the finest spots for blight infection possible. 



On many of the trunks and large branches rough, 

 uneven, broken-down patches are often found. I refer 

 to the familiar canker spots, caused by a fungus 

 (Sphseropsis malorum), which also causes the black rot 

 of the fruit. When found these should be cut out, going 

 back to solid wood and thoroughly scraping off the 

 bark. All cuts of one-half inch or more in diameter 

 and all places where canker has been removed should 

 be painted with some good lead paint to guard against 

 infection. 



Wiere much fruit rot. leaf spot, or scab abounds, 

 raking up and burying or burning the dead leaves and 

 old fruit will lessen the damage done by the.se troubles. 



A very important part of the work is the examina- 

 tion for the various scales, especially the San Jose, 

 which has been so aptly termed a "mighty atom." The 

 scale is only about the size of a pin head, but breeds 

 with such amazing rapidity that in a few months it 

 will completely cover a full grown tree and by sucking 

 the sap eventually kill it. A single scale is circular in 

 outline with a mound in the centre, brown or gray in 

 color and rather hard to distinguish. The insect itself 

 is under this scale and winters over in nearly a mature 

 state. Wiere many occur they give to the infested 

 parts a whitish, scurfy, crusted apj^earance. When a 

 tree is badly covered a bonfire is the most satisfactory 

 remedy, but when only a few exist there is hope of sav- 

 ing by spraying with lime-sulphur wash or, in the case 

 of a small orchard, with some one of several good prep- 

 arations on the market. 



Sunken areas of bark, little piles of sawdust and 

 woodpecker holes on the trunks and large branches will 

 indicate the presence of borers, the young of certain 

 beetles. These spots should be cleared away and the 

 borers killed by inserting a flexible wire into the bur- 

 rows. Prevention consists in giving the trees a good 

 coating of whitewash or soft soap for a distance of five 

 or six feet from the ground. Borers indicate that the 

 tree is unhealthy, for they do not occur in vigorous, 

 rapidly growing, healthy wood. 



The oyster-shell (Mytilapis pomorum) and the 

 scurfy scale (Chionaspis furfurus) are cleaned off in 

 the same way as the San Jose scale. Summer treat- 

 ment is also possible against them, as all the young 

 occur at about the same time, differing in this respect 

 from the San Jose, which breeds all summer. 



It is the intelligent man who will keep in touch with 

 his orchard, help nature in the subjugation of undesir- 

 able forms, and exercise care and judgment in the man- 

 agement of the trees. Bearing trees are like old people, 

 after they have become used to a certain' way of living, 

 any violent changes work sad havoc in the order of their 

 existence. Keep the trees growing steadily and they 

 will repay with good crops. 



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