May 21, 1910 



UOKTICULTURE 



769 



of Stuart (.t Tjow Co. over 1-100 

 spikes of Odontoglossuin. No de- 

 scription can adequately desci'ibe 

 their beauty. Truly they have been 

 called the "Gems of New Granadti." 

 The great difficulty you have in 

 America is the extreme summer 

 heat which Odontoglossums object 

 to, and many attempts have been 

 made — but so far with only partial 

 success — because if a cool spot has 

 been found or made, there has not 

 been enough circulation of fresh 

 air, which is an absolute necessity. 

 But surely the wit of man that 

 brings meat frozen and unharmed 

 through the tropics and can make 

 a cold house warm by water, can 

 make a hot house cold with ice. 

 Iced water is no novelty in America. 



Therefore the intermediate house 

 with minimum temperature of 50 

 to 55 degrees, where the gorgeous 

 Laelias and Cattleyas grow so well, 

 and where with your bright sun far 

 better results are obtained than 

 under the dull grey skies of Eng- 

 land. What a feast of color and 

 form is to be had ! 



The stove house again with night temperature of 

 60 to 65 degrees will give you the showy, eai'ly flowering 

 Dendrobes. Phalaenopses, Vandas, Aerides, etc. 



The large family of Cypripediums grow well in both 

 the intermediate and stove department and has many 

 lovers, the lasting qualities of the flowers being greatly 

 in their favor. After finding the right place repotting 

 and watering are the principal things to leam. As a 

 nile the time to repot a plant is after it has done 

 flowering and when it has had a rest — and then it must 

 not be watered too much. A plant suffers far more 

 from too much than too little water. There are many 

 articles written with practical hints on both potting 

 and watering. 



Many plants are injured by leaving flowers too long 

 on them. The plants get exhausted and do not then 

 break soon or strong enough to give good results the fol- 

 lowing year. 



It must not be forgotten that orchids, like all other 

 plants, ha.ve their enemies, but as a rule these attack 

 more fiercely plants in ill health or weakly. To keep 

 them from becoming dirty is far better than always 

 cleaning. Do not think there will be no trouble. But 

 nothing worth having is got without trouble. Anyone 

 who loves and watches them will soon understand their 

 wants and they will prove a boundless source of interest 

 and pleasure and will repay the cost and trouble. 



To get a fair start just go or write to some of the 

 leading orchid nurserymen — describe or let them see 

 your houses, and let them make for you a selection 

 to the value you wish to spend, and you may rely on 

 their sending plants to suit the place. Of course, if 

 you are going to build a new house, you will get 

 better results and would naturally build your house on 

 the most up-to-date pattern. The love of orchids is 



(ATTEI.yA INTERMEDIA ALBA 

 Photo at Stuart Low & Co., Bush lUM Park, Enfield, Middlesex, Eng. 



greatly on the increase and a plant one .grows has always 

 more interest than one purchased in bloom. 



J-H^^ 



Bush urn Park. 



Trans-Atlantic Notes 



STREPTOCARPUS 



Tliis genus of Gesnerads, the cultivation of which has 

 greatly extended in British gardens since S. Saundersii 

 was brought eut in the early 70's, can now boast of a 

 large number of varieties with handsome coloring. S. 

 Saundersii is a many flowered hybrid that was brought 

 out in 1875, bore three leaves and twenty flower spikes, 

 some of which carried five blueish lilac colored flowers. 

 The plants are native of the Cape of Good Hope; S. 

 Eexi, known in gardens under the name of S. biflorus, 

 by reason of the scape bearing two flowers; S. polyan- 

 thus and S. Gardenii. 



All of the above are free flowering, and like gloxinias, 

 are propagated by leaf cuttings. In the case of S. Eexi, 

 one cotyledon forms the entire leafage of the adult 

 plant. J. Veitch & Sons have succeeded in raising 

 numerous crosses and are the holders of an extensive 

 and varied collection of these showy plants, which in 

 some respects rival the gloxinias. They do best in the 

 warm greenhouse, and on a shelf near the roof glass, 

 or in low pits. 



