April 27, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



553 



Columbian Odontoglossums 



The winter of 1906-'O'(' lias been very unfavorable to 

 the culture of odontoglossuuis, and it is to be feared 

 that should the coming summer prove a hot one the 

 plants will not have such an easy time as they have had 

 in the past few j'ears. In Pittsburg we have had more 

 than our share of dull, dark and foggy days. The 

 healthy bronze color is conspicuously absent, the leaves 

 being quite green. The |X!rcentage of flowers, however, 

 has been good, many plants flowering for the first time, 

 some of them being plants of the real Pacho type which 

 are part of an importation received in 1901. In the 

 collection are some plants imported in 1895, twelve 

 years ago. This knocks the theory that it *is impossible 

 to keep a collection without decrease for any number of 

 years. Dr. Shafer keeps an accurate record of every 

 plant which enters the collection and it is interesting 

 to note that there have been scarcely any deaths amongst 

 the odontoglossums although many of the plants were 

 in bad shape on arrival. 



The plants are wintered in a span-roofed house run- 

 ning north and south where tlioy get all the light possi- 

 ble. In summer from March till September they have 

 the advantage of a house especially constructed for cool 

 orchids and to which their healthy condition is in a 



great measure due. This house which is a lean-to built 

 against the eastern wall of the cypripedium house, is 

 shaded on the south by the projecting front and dome 

 of the centre house. Owing to the peculiar construction 

 of the range which is built on a side hill the floor level 

 of the cool house is 9 feet below the level of the other 

 compartments. In summer the house gets only the 

 morning sun, being, during the hottest time of the day, 

 quite in the shade of the other houses. Bamboo shad- 

 ing is used to protect the plants from direct sunlight, 

 but these are only needed in the early part of the day. 

 The fact that the range is built on a side hill is a dis- 

 tinct advantage in ventilating, as the lowest ventilators 

 are considerably above the ground level in front. The 

 collection, which numbers 175 plants, includes the fol- 

 lo\\dng species and varieties: Odontoglossum crispum, 

 various lypes, Andersonianmn, Pescatorei. luteo-pur- 

 pureimi, Hallii, triumphans, Euckerianum, Edwardii, 

 gloriosum, mirandum, Lindleyanum. Coradinei, spec- 

 trum and Hunnewelliafium. 



Commercial Chrysanthemum Culture in France 



■ Our respective ladies have decided to go into Paris 

 and view the chrysanthemum show, there to meet M. 

 Nonin and myself later on. The weather which had 

 certainly been the worst I ever knew in France in the 

 month of November was now a trifle promising and after 

 putting the ladies into the electric tram Nonin and I 

 proceed in the direction of Vanves. Fortunately mine 

 host has had some suspicion of the weather and ere long 

 his man driving a covered van picks us up not many 

 minutes too soon. 



Wind and rain begin. The roads are soon flooded and 

 the squalls are most violent. After a drive of some little 

 distance the weather abates, but alas only for a short 

 time, and we find ourselves ringing at the gate of M. 

 Gaston Clement's nursery. This gentleman is a well- 

 known "mummer"' and has occupied prominent official 



positions on the Paris Chrysanthemum Committee. As 

 a market grower he has had considerable experience hav- 

 ing been engaged in the work for about fifteen years. 

 He is a grower for the very early and late seasons — not 

 the midseason. 



Altogether Clement's collection comprises about 400 

 varieties although like others engaged in the trade he has 

 always a considerable number of novelties on trial to 

 replace old varieties when improved ones can be found. 

 His chief customers are the Paris and provincial florists 

 and his culture is mainly plants in pots bearing three to 

 five blooms each. These are cut with stems 3 ft. long, 

 all finely developed, big show blooms that bring from 

 3 francs to 13 francs for a donen blooms. 



We start with the packing shed. Here are numerous 

 tubs containing the flowers ready for packing. Several 



