8 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



watering more so than splendidum? Why. it is not an 

 uncommon occurrence for a batch of this King of 

 Oncidium to go at times for weeks without any water 

 appHed to the roots, in fact they seem to revel with such 

 treatment providing the atmospheric moisture is agree- 

 able to them. Therefore it is not necessary to hear the 

 complaint which at times is the case in regard to the 

 }oung growths rotting oflf. Even though grown with 

 the Cattleyas, when such does occur, a safe remedy to 

 eradicate the trouble is considerably less water at the 

 roots. It is surprising the amount of flower spikes a 

 healthy batch of this variety will produce. 



Like all other valuable plants, usually they have their 

 enemies in the way of insect pests, slugs are extremely 

 partial to the young succulent spikes just as they are 

 forming at the base of the new bulb, therefore it is well 

 to keep a sharp lookout for these enemies for some time, 

 before they commence to produce their flower spikes, 

 otherwise serious damage will be done. With a poor 

 crop of flowers, no matter how little damage seemingly 

 has been done, we find when a slug has once started 

 into the young spike it, at its best, will be a cripple and 

 of little or no value. I dare say, every orchid grower has 

 his favorite methods in trap]3ing them, with lettuce leaves 

 laid on the pots, carrots cut in halves, or potatoes laid 

 on the pots, cutting a hollow into them and turning the 

 hollow towards the peat. They often may be caught. It 

 seems almost increditable at times that those tiny slugs, 

 not much larger than the head of a pin, are destructive 

 beyond comprehension, and are the cause of worry and an- 

 noyance, and particularly so with O. splendidum, or, for 

 that matter, the whole of the (Jncidium family, may be 

 included. 



V\ hat an interesting species that old O. ])apilio is. as 

 the name implies, butterfly, which is truly a good imita- 

 tion of nature. However, this variety may be classed 

 more as a curiosity than anything else. Still, I venture 

 to say, Papilio has aroused the curiosity of many flower 

 lovers. To grow this species successfully a warm house 

 is necessary. I have often wondered why we do not see 

 more of that noble variety, O. Alarshallianum. True, it's 

 a bit straggly in growth, also a spring flower, but wherever 

 a batch is to be seen, it is apt to cause admiration. Still, 



there is such a variation with the different varieties of 

 Oncidiums being collected in different sections and dif- 

 ferent altitudes, we find some species thrive best with 

 more heat, others with less. Marshallianum, for instance, 

 will resent too nuich in quick order, and can be handled 

 better with a few degrees less than are applied to 

 Cattle\as. 



Vanda Caerulea, when any one comes down to a deli- 

 cate blue orchid such as Caerulea, they are mighty scarce. 

 For autumn cut flowers or for decoration, the graceful 

 sprays of Caerulea will have a telling effect wherever 

 placed ; in fact, one may say, this variety stands alone for 

 its delicate blue shadings. While they all are blue, it is 

 wonderful the dift'erent delicate shades that may be found 

 among a batch, not uncommon to hardly find two plants 

 just alike. Caerulea will also thrive better in a cooler 

 temperature than most of the Vandas. 



There are so many spray orchids that come to mind 

 that are worthy of mention, yes, far more than can be 

 mentioned in a short article. But. perhaps, the man that 

 can grow tiie Phalaenojisis family to perfection has got 

 one of the choicest spray orchids there is to be had, but 

 why is it, as a rule, when anything is extremely beautiful 

 there is usually something tricky about them? I am satis- 

 tied, that to grow Phalaenopsis successfully, depends 

 largely on the house as well as the general care and good 

 treatment thev receive from the grower. Certain it is, 

 there can be no success in a house unless abundance of 

 moisture can be maintained. We have noticed at times 

 in years gone by, even liefore the up-to-date houses were 

 thought of, Phalaenopsis could be found flourishing with 

 leaves and flower spikes of great substance, and we have 

 also known to change them from that particular house 

 to another would mean partial ruin. Be it as it may, it 

 has been an undisputed fact, these species may flourish 

 in a certain house and lose their vigor in another, even 

 though, the same man was in charge. 



Such varieties as P. .Amabilis, Schilleriana and Rime- 

 stadiana are, I dare say, three of the best for general pur- 

 poses and for their large, massive sprays. With the host 

 of material in the way of s]jray orchids and their value 

 for decorative effect I have often wondered why they 

 were not more largely grown. 



How to Produce Perfect Lawns 



Oft times it is a dil^cult matter to secure a good 

 stand of grass over the lawn or it may be almost impos- 

 sible to maintain the velvety bluegrass, June grass or 

 Bermuda during a period of severe drought. In fact, 

 the problems of the efficient lawn which will prosper 

 for five months in the year are worthy of considerable 

 study on the part of the suburbanite who perhaps oft'- 

 handedly will maintain that soil, seed and water are 

 the only requisites of an attractive and thrifty grass 

 plot, writes George H. Dacy in The Field. As a 

 matter of fact, there is just as much science involved in 

 the culture of a seemly greensward as there is in the pro- 

 duction of our most valuable economic crops and 

 plants. 



The lawn must be favored with plenty of available 

 plant food for the proper nourishment of the grass ; it 

 must have access to plenty of sunlight ; it must be sup- 

 plied with sufficient moisture: it must be maintained 

 free of weeds: the grass clijipings must be left on the 

 lawn to decay and enrich the soil, and the correct 



amount and suitable \ariety of grass see<l must be 

 sown whenever it is essential to re-seed the lawn. The 

 fertilizer de luxe for the grass plot is barnyard manure, 

 which should be applied as a top dressing in the fall, 

 about fifteen tons to the acre. Stable refuse that is 

 free of weed seeds should be used. Plenty of litter is 

 necessary in the manure, as it forms a protective mulch 

 for the lawn, particularly in the northern latitudes 

 where the winters are severe. This covering of straw 

 in no respect imjjedes the fertilizing ingredients from 

 being leached into the soil. The straw mav be raked 

 off in the spring wdien the lawn is in the pink of con- 

 dition for a productive season. The fertile soil which 

 is intensively fertilized with plenty of stable refuse 

 should produce an elegant sward where care is exer- 

 cised to control weeds. 



One of the most desirable seeding mixtures that can 

 be used consists of a combination of twent}'-five to 

 thirty pounds of bluegrass seed and six to eight pounds 

 I if white clover seed to the acre. In some of the ])uhlic 

 liarks excellent results have obtained where a mixture 

 of two Inishels of Kentucky blueo-rass, two bushels of 



