May 21, 1910 



HORTICULfURE 



765- 



If a plant grows well on any one 

 place, leave it tliere. 



THE "cool" house 



From this little rose house we 

 enter into what I call the azalea — 

 or cool house; it is 25x20 i'eet. 

 The temperature in this house dur- 

 ing the winter is kept at from 

 45 to 50 degrees at night and from 

 50 to 55 degrees during the day; in 

 summer it is kept as cool as out- 

 side conditions will permit. There 

 is a pit in the center of the house 

 occupied by large specimen azaleas 

 and other plants; smaller azaleas 

 are grown on one of the side 

 benches, and a lot of other con I 

 growang stuff on a bench in the 

 southwest comer. Suspended over- 

 head in this corner where they get 

 plenty of sun are some plants of 

 Oncidium concolor, 0. cheiropho- 

 rum, 0. crispum, Odontoglossuni 

 grande, 0. Insleayi, 0. Schlieperia- 

 num, 0. cordatum and 0. Kossii 

 majus, also Sophronitis gi-andiflora. 

 Cattleya eitrina and the curious 

 little Eestrepia antennifera. Dendrobium nobile finds a 

 place here to rest during the winter and spring, being 

 suspended at the southern end where they can get the 

 full benefit of the sun and plenty of fresh air. A few 

 dozen Oncidiums, mostly 0. verrucosum, are suspended 

 from the roof well up near the ventilators and judging 

 from the way they have been growing and flowering 

 for the last 5 or 6 years, they evidently enjoy just such 

 a place; the same holds gd'od with nearly all of the 

 different Oncidiums coming from the Organ Moimtains 

 of Brazil, all of which are by no means easy to keep in 

 good health for any length of time. Oncidium incur- 

 vnm and Epidendrum fragrans, also do well in this 



Masdevallia ignea 



OUONTOGLOSSUM GRANDE (BaI'.Y ORCHID) 



house. One short bench, which is partly shaded all the 

 jear by the adjoining rose house makes an ideal place 

 for the various Masdevallias, Warscewiczella aromatica, 

 OdontogiosRum Bictoniensis and a few other botanical 

 varieties which like to grow in a cool shady place. 

 Further on on this bench where there is more light, 

 Odontoglossuni crispum and Miltonia vexillaria are 

 doing well, the last named being removed to warmer 

 quarters during the cold winter months. This house 

 and the adjoining one are provided with bottom 

 ventilators which are a good thing to have wherever 

 orchids are grown as they assure an abundance of 

 fresh air which is the life and soul of orchids. During 

 the hot summer months roller blinds, made of a 

 strong cloth called open duck, are used on the houses 

 and are let down during the hottest part of the 

 day. They help to keep the temperature down and pre- 

 vent the foliage from getting too yellow. 



THE CATTLEYA HOUSE 



Next we eonie to the so called Cattleya house where 

 most of the different Cattleyas are grown. These oc- 

 cupy the biggest part of the side benches, the end part 

 of the benches being used for those taller growing 

 orchids which succeed in these surrovmdings. The 

 temperature of this house is kept from 58 degrees to 

 60 degrees at night during winter and spring; through 

 the summer from 60 degrees to 65 degrees. The house, 

 like the rest of them, is damped down thoroughly once 

 a day (except during a prolonged spell of cloudy 

 weather), those plants which require water being 

 watered at the same time and if the weather is bright 

 all the plants get a good syringing which helps to keep 

 down insects. All the watering is usually done in the 

 forenoon, but in summer the plants are sprayed over- 

 head again towards night if the day has been hot and 

 dry. Besides the Cattleyas a number of other orchids 

 are grown in this house, mostly suspended from the 

 roof. One side of the house is shaded in summer from 

 two trees which stand very near the house, sorry to say; 

 so no blinds are used on this side. On this side of the 

 house Cattleya labiata grows best as that variety seems 

 to like a little more shade than the rest of the Cattleyas. 

 One shady comer of this bench is used for Selenipedi- 



