August 2, 1913 



HOETICULTUEE 



137 



Dendrobium thyrsiflorum 



The subject of the illustration is one of the best 

 species of the beautiful and variable genus Dendrobium. 

 Its large trusses of white and orange flowers are produced 

 freely from the two-year-old and older pseudo-bulbs and 

 a well-fiowered specimen forms a lovely picture. There 

 .are several other species closely allied to the foregoing 

 and all are well worth growing. D. Farmeri comes per- 

 haps the nearest to it and it is hard to say which of the 

 Iwo is the more beautiful. In this species the sepals and 

 petals vary from pure white to the most delicate shade 

 of pink and rose; the lip is orange as in D. thyrsi- 

 florum. It is easily distinguished from the former by 

 its four-angled dark green, pseudo-bulbs. D. densi- 

 florum has the whole of the flowers orange with the lip 

 a shade darker than the sepals and petals and the flow- 

 ers are set closer together than in the two foregoing 

 species. The pseudo-bulbs are shorter and stouter than 

 in D. thyrsiflorum. 



All three are natives of hot climates (India) and 

 therefore require lots of heat and moisture during their 

 growing season, which begins soon after the flowers have 

 faded in late spring or early summer. They will be 

 found to do their best suspended from the roof of the 

 warmest house obtainable from the time they start to 

 gi'ow until the new bulbs are completed, during which 

 time they should be slightly shaded and not be allowed 

 to get dry for any length of time. As the new growths 

 reach maturity, an occasional dip in weak liquid ma- 

 nure water will be of benefit to them. This can be kept 

 up until the new pseudo-bulbs are fully developed, when 

 the plants may be removed to cooler quarters and grad- 

 ually exposed to full sunshine in order to ripen the 

 new growth. The amount of water, both at the roots 

 and in the atmosphere, should also be reduced at this 

 time and during the winter and up to the time when 

 the buds begin to push forth, very little water should 

 be given. 



The plants can be potted in good osmunda fibre to 

 which a little live sphagnum moss can be added. Pot 

 rather firm in pans, baskets or, better still, common 

 flower pots with three holes to permit suspending. Give 

 ample drainage to allow the water to pass off quickly ; 

 the water should run through the compost as it would 

 through a sieve. This applies to all orchids ; no orchid 



Gro~.vcr PoinU McKiiizir, Chrstniit Hill, Mass. 



thrives good in a compost which retains the water for 

 any length of time. 



Naitgatucl, Conn. 



Walter Mott's Notes by the Way 



Providence, R. I. 



The new seed store of the W. E. Bar- 

 rett Co. was completed in time for the 

 season's business which was even bet- 

 ter than the year previous. Mr. Fisk, 

 the manager, who has been many 

 years connected with the house, will 

 now take a short vacation. 



Willis N. Pino reports a big call for 

 insecticides following the seed busi- 

 ness, which averages up equal to for- 

 mer years. He predicts a fairly good 

 general harvest of stock seed at steady 

 prices. The first shipment of Lilium 

 Harrissii are in; bulbs are plump and 

 of average size. Manager H. C. Neu- 

 brand is on a vacation in the White 

 Mountains. 



Jas. Budlong Sons Co. are shipping 



a heavy late crop of tomatoes, which 

 have given place to chrysanthemums. 

 First shipments from new crops of 

 roses show stock to be in fine condi- 

 tion. 



On the way to Newport is Carl Jur- 

 gens' big field of lily of the valley; it 

 is an unusual sight and attracts con- 

 siderable notice. At the houses they 

 are throwing out a crop preparatory 

 for a new one. The new rose houses 

 are producing well. Beauties are the 

 chief variety grown and they give 

 promise of heavy crops from now on. 



Cambridge, Mass. 



F. C. Becker has his houses planted 

 with Nephrolepis /Bostoniensis, more 

 stock than usual. It is notable, in 

 passing, that while every grower 

 seems to add more space each year 

 for this popular fern, there are not 



enough young plants to go halfway 

 around. 



Jno. McKenzie is a strong admirer 

 of Nephrolepis Roosevelt; its sturdy 

 habit and graceful appearance makes 

 it very popular. 



New Haven, Conn. 



The Doolittle Floral Co., who took 

 over the floral section of the Piatt 

 Co., are increasing their store space 

 with the intention of adding a full line 

 of Insecticides next season. 



Springfield, Mass. 

 Wm. Schlatter & Son have long 

 since adopted the plan of keeping the 

 extra help employed through the sum- 

 mer in going over the houses, so that 

 they are in excellent condition and 

 ready tor replanting in due season. 

 They notice a considerable increase 

 in local trade of late. 



