February 20, 1915 



HOETICULTUEE 



237 



CYPRIPEDIUMS 



Crpripediums constitute one of the most satisfactory 

 gcjiera among the great family of orcliids. They are 

 of comparatively easy culture, for the most part free 

 flowering and the flowers have great lasting qualities 

 either cut or left on the plant. For the commercial 

 grower there is in my estimation no better variety than 

 the old and reliable C. insigne in its various forms. C. 

 villosum and C. Boxalli are other good free-flowering 

 species. I have about two dozen plants of C. insigne 

 which for over ten years have annually produced in the 

 neighorhood of 400 flowers — this winter over 450; one 

 plant alone once bore 37 

 flowers. There are few other 

 cypripediums that will do 

 that. C. villosum and C. 

 Boxalli are occasionally very 

 free flowering, but I find 

 when a plant of these goes 

 to extremes one season it 

 will not flower nearly so 

 good for several seasons 

 thereafter Once I had a 

 plant of C. villosum in a 12 

 inch pot produce 65 flowers, 

 the most I have ever had on 

 one plant of any variety. 



Cypripedium Spiceriannm 

 is good, but too short in 

 stem, but united with the 

 foregoing species it has 

 given us hybrids of first- 

 class quality in their various 

 combinations. The many 

 forms of C Leeanura, C. 

 Lathamianum, C. aurea, 

 etc., are all good in color 

 and free flowering. This last 

 point is all-important to the 

 commercial grower who 

 grows for the wholesale 

 market or his own retail 

 trade. Most of the fancy, 

 choice cypripediums one 

 finds in private collections 

 are too shy-blooming and 

 slow-growing to be profit- 

 able, and, moreover, the 

 difference in price between 

 good free-flowering cyprijie- 

 diums and the fancy varie- 

 ties is very great when one comes to buying plant 

 very small when one comes to sell the flowers. 



The best time for repotting cypripediums is soon after 

 they get through flowering. Small plants can be 

 shifted into pots about two sizes larger, say from ;i 

 4 or 5 inch to 6 or 7 inch, etc. Specimens can go in 

 pots as large as 13 inch. Cypripediums, like all other 

 orchids, dislike root disturbance and should therefore 

 not be molested more than is absolutely necessary. By 

 giving them a pot at least two sizes larger and by using 

 a good lasting compost, repotting will only be necessary 

 at long intervals. A C. insigne will give a good crop 

 of flowers annually for six and even eight years after 

 being once potted. Where it is desired to increase the 

 stock, the plants should be divided before repotting auil 



Cypripedium 

 (C.-eallosum 



and 



each pioi ( jM,i;,(i separately in not too large a pot. Care- 

 ful potting is essential. While holding the plant in one 

 hand, spread out the roots carefully with the other and 

 fill in between them to witliin a few inches of the rim 

 \nth broken potsherds, then fill up the remaining space 

 with a compost consisting of osmunda fibre two parts, 

 good fibrous loam one part and some old cow manure, 

 about half as much as of loam. For very large pots 

 the depth of compost can be accordingly more, but 

 sliould never be more than one-third the depth of the 

 pot. Too much compost will prove fatal, because it will 



hold the moisture too long. 

 The compost must be open 

 enough to let the water run 

 through quickly. Tliis com- 

 post will suit all such free- 

 growing varieties as C. in- 

 signe, C. villosum, etc. For 

 the choicer varieties and 

 especially those with mottled 

 leaves more of the osmunda 

 fibre is used and less loam; 

 here the manure can be left 

 out entirely or used only 

 sparingly. After repotting 

 the plants must be watered 

 sparingly for several weeks, 

 hut may be syringed freely 

 and the surroundings kept 

 moist by frequent damping 

 down of the floors and be- 

 tween the pots. Plants that 

 have only been shifted into 

 larger pots will re-establish 

 themselves much quicker 

 than those which were cut 

 up. Choice varieties of 

 \\hich stock is scarce are 

 best gro%vn in shallow pans 

 suspended from the roof of 

 ■A warm house and the addi- 

 tion of a little live sphag- 

 num moss to the compost 

 recommended for the warm 

 growing section \vill be of 

 great benefit to them. 



Cj'pripediums can be 

 grown out-doors during 

 summer to good advantage 

 either in lath-covered frames 

 nr under tall trees, but one must be able to get at them 

 with the hose easily as they will dry out much quicker out 

 doors than they would in a greenhouse. Frequent syring- 

 ing will keep away insect pests especially thrips. which 

 sometimes become very troublesome out-doors. Estab- 

 li.shed plants of cypripediums need a good sup]ily of water 

 at the roots at all seasons of the year and up to the time 

 the flowers begin to open a weekly application of weak 

 liquid manure will be of great benefit to them. For 

 this purpose nothing beats the old cow manure if it 

 can he had. Put a pailful into a 50 gal. barrel of water 

 autl of this stock solution use about one quart to ten 

 quarts of clear water. 



Xaiigatucl-, Conn. 



Juno (life size) 

 X C. Falrrleanuui.) 



