August 20, 1910 



HORTICULTURE, 



267 



found occasionally in the market are D. nobile, D. 

 Wardianuni and D. crassinode. 



ONCIDIUMS 



Oncidiimi verucosum Rogersi and 0. splendidum are 

 both profitable orchids to grow, the former being very 

 free flowering, and if reasonable care is taken of them 

 ihey will give good returns for a number of years to 

 come. 0. verucosum, like most Oncidiums, does best 

 in a temperature of 45 to 50 deg. in winter, with plenty 

 of light and air at all times. Keep them as cool as 

 possible during the hot summer months without depriv- 

 ing them of the light which is so necessary to produce a 

 good crop of flowers. Most Oncidiums do best in small 

 baskets or pans suspended from the roof. In potting 

 or basketing use a little osmunda fibre around the 

 base of the plant, just enough to steady them until 

 the roots take hold. They don't like much compost of 

 any kind about their roots. 0. verucosum should be 

 thoroughly rested after the flower spikes are cut, even 

 to the extent of shriveling, until they start to grow 

 again. Wlien the new growths have rooted into the 

 compost plenty of water must be given, keeping it up 

 until the flowers commence to expand. From that point 

 on gradually red^ice the amount until you get down to 

 practically nothing in winter, save a syringing in bright 

 weather. As a rule orchids should not be allowed to 

 shrivel, but with this Oncidium and Coelogyne cristata 

 it will do no harm. 



Oncidium spendidum can be grown on the bench 

 under practically the same conditions as advised for 

 Cattleyas, keeping them as near the glass as possible. 

 Very little water is required by them in winter, and 

 not much in summer. Oncidium omithorhynchum 

 could also be profitably grown. Their graceful sprays 

 of small purple heliotrope-scented flowers can be used 

 to good advantage in decorative work. These do well 

 suspended from the roof of the Cattleya house. On- 

 cidium crispum, 0. Forbsii, 0. Marshallianum and 0. 

 Sarcodes are also good varieties of this interesting genus, 

 which will grow under the same conditions as 0. veru- 

 co.sum. 



LAELIAS 



Lfelias require practically the same treatment as Cat- 

 tleyas, but should be given more sun and rested more 

 severely in winter. Although their flowers are beauti- 

 ful, there is but little demand for them as they do 

 not last long after being cut. Lslia, or properly 

 L»lio-cattleya elegans, is a handsome thing, too, and 

 a good keeper, but too rare and expensive to be grown 

 for the cut flower market. 



CTPEIPEDIUMS 



Cypripedium insigne is, no doubt, the easiest of all 

 orchids to grow, and one of the most free flowering if 

 left alone after being repotted for at least five or more 

 years. K"eep them agoing by frequent applications of 

 liquid manure during summer until the flowers expand. 

 Never let them get dry. As a compost I use good turfy 

 loam, lumps of dry, old cow manure and pieces of 

 osmunda fibre chopped up in pieces the size of hen's 

 eggs, or thereabouts, in equal proportion. Pill the pots 

 nearly half full with crocks to ensure good drainage for 

 the future and then work in tha compost firmly about 

 the roots to within an inch or so of the rim. TJse pots 



large enougJi to accommodate the plant for the next 

 five to eight years. Do not disturb them until the 

 leads have grown out over the edge of the pot to some 

 extent unless you want to increase your stock of plants. 

 The rest of the Cypripediums, with the possible ex- 

 ception of C. Harrisiauum and C. villosum, are too 

 slow of growth and shy of bloom to be profitable. The 

 difference in the price received for a flower of the com- 

 mon C. insigne and that of any other Cypripedium, no 

 matter how good a variety it may be, is not enough to 

 encourage the growing of these for the market. They 

 are all right for the private gardener, where no cash 

 profits are looked for. 



COELOGTNES AND CALANTHES 



Coelogyne cristata (both the Chatsworth variety and 

 the pure white C. c. alba) and the three Calanthes — C. 

 Veitchi, C. vestita lutea occulata and C. Eegnieri are 

 other good orchids well worth growing and which vdll 

 bring good returns, besides being easy to grow and 

 propagate. Calenthes flower from October to March, 

 and Coelogynes from January to May, if some plants 

 are kept cool and dry. Calanthes require plenty of 

 heat while making up their bulbs, also regular water- 

 ings with good liquid manure as often as they dry 

 out, until the bulb is completed and the flowers com- 

 mence to open. After flowering they are laid under 

 a bench in a warm hotise until they start to grow again, 

 when they are potted in a mixture of old rotten cow 

 manure, bone meal and a little fibrous loam, with the 

 fine soil well shaken out. This helps to bind the com- 

 i:)o=t and keeps it from washing away. C. Veitchi and 

 C. vestita require less compost than the stronger grow- 

 ing C. Eegnieri; a layer of about an inch deep over 

 the crocks being sufficient for the former and 2 inches 

 deep will be better for C. Eegnieri. Coelogynes I pot 

 in a mixture of loam, cow manure, osmunda fibre and 

 moss in about equal proportions, using shallow pans 

 or baskets for the purpose. They must have an abund- 

 ant supply of water and frequent applications of weak 

 liquid manure during their growing season until the 

 new bulbs have matured. By that time the flower 

 spikes will have made their appearance, to stay dormant 

 until their time for flowering, which is usually in Jan- 

 uary and February unless forced or held back. Keep 

 them dry and cool in winter; the temperature of the 

 Cattleya house suits them in stmimer. 



MILTONIAS AND ODONTOGLOSSDMS 



Miltonias and Odontoglossums are very beautiful, but 

 their flowers come rather late in the season. They are 

 rather difficult to manage during the hot summer 

 mouths, and beginners had better go slow on them at 

 first. There are plenty of other good and beautiful 

 orchids which might be easy to grow and their flowers 

 could readily be sold, but the first cost of the plants is 

 generally too high to make it a safe investment. 



Vanda coerula is all right — a good seller if one can 

 grow it. I can't, so will not give any advice on the 

 matter. 



The above list could hi- extended but my intention in 

 these notes was to give brief notes on only those that can 

 be profitably grown by the average florist and to point 

 out their characteristics and cultural needs for the in- 

 formation and instruction of any one interested in 

 learning something of commercial orchid growing. 



