April 



1914 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



ed a Jittle nursery, out of which I got * 

 more enjoyment to the square inch than 

 froTH any other spot on the place, here 

 I raised rows upon rows of thrifty per- 

 ennial plantlets, delphineums, shasta 

 daisies, perennial chrysanthemums, Can- 

 tirbury bells, gypsophila (baby's breath), 

 foxgloves, and many others, which, as 



they became large enough, I transplant- 

 ed to the perennial bed, so that now, 

 after three years, I have my border fill- 

 ed to overflowing, and could do away 

 entirely with the annuals, although I 

 still reserve a strip in front of the bed 

 for the gorgeous, annual display of pop- 

 pies, succeeded by an equally beautiful 



display of asters, and I still outline the 

 border with the staunch alyssum. The 

 result every season is a bed which is the 

 object of interest and admiration to every 

 passerby, as well as the unfailing source 

 of supply for cut flowers throughout the 

 summer, and so a joy also even to my 

 inose distant friends. 



Orchids: the Goddesses of the Flov^er Families 



ALD. J. A. ELLIS, M.L.A., of Ot- 

 tawa, is one of the very few men 

 in Canada who has grown orchids 

 successfully. As an amateur who has 

 grown them for many years he speaks 

 appreciatively of the rewards they have 

 given him. 



On the occasion a short time ago of a 

 visit to his home to see his plants, I 

 asked him if he did not experience a 

 good deal of pleasure in being able to 

 grow the flowers of a millionaire on the 

 income of an ordinary man. To this he 

 replied that the flowers which could be 

 grown with the very minimum of care 

 and with a maximum of results, were or- 

 chids. He added, of course, that this is 

 provided one does not attempt the high 

 temperature section, or some of the ex- 

 [jensive varieties which are often less 

 beautiful than those of reasonable price. 



"As a matter of fact,' said Mr. Ellis, 

 "I haven't spent a cent on orchids for 

 the past five years. Some of the plants 

 I have to-day are those I began with 

 many years ago. Of course they have 

 Increased, as most orchids do, until to- 

 day the increase of some has been per- 

 haps fifty-fold." 



Mr. Ellis took me into several rooms 

 of the house where orchids were used for 

 table decorations, and similar purposes, 

 instead of palms or ferns. He remarked 

 about one fine flowering plant that "it 

 had been brought out of the greenhouse 

 when it started to bloom three weeks 

 ago, and was good for another month, 

 when another one from the greenhouse 

 would take its place." Varieties which 

 flower in winter are his choice, because, 

 as he says, "in the summer there ari- 

 plenty of flowers in the garden which can 

 be used as cut flowers in the house. 



WHY OllClIIDS 



Orchids are seldom grown. Most peo- 

 ple think that they cannot be grown by 

 the amateur, or that they are the flowers 

 of the millionaire. Such opinions in 

 some cases are well founded, although 

 only in some cases. The experience of 

 Mr. Ellis and others who have grown 

 them, refute such an idea. Actually 

 there is a strong case in favor of the or- 

 chid as a plant for home use, and espec- 

 ially for the winter season. The case is 

 supported by the following facts : 



First : Orchids require a minimum of 

 care and attention. 



F. E. Buck, C.E.F., Ottawa, Ont. 



Second : The expense of growing or- 

 chids is not prohibitive, and after one 

 has started, less than that of other 

 plants. 



Third : As suitable house plants, won- 

 derful in their beauty of coloring and 

 charm of form, they are unsurpassed. 



,WHY EXPENSIVE 



The varieties which the amateur should 

 attempt to grow are not expensive, but 

 rare varieties fetch sums which only a 

 millionaire could dream of giving for 

 them. Such varieties are bought on the 

 same basis as curioes are bought, to add 

 tQ priceless collections. Some few years 

 ago I was visiting a commercial estab- 

 lishment which has a fine colection or or- 

 chids, and in discussing prices with the 

 manager I was told this : That a short 

 time before his firm made a purchase of 

 several hundred bulbs, paying, I think, 

 on the average about a dollar apiece for 

 them. In this collection were one or two 

 rare plants. About the time they were 

 in bloom another orchid specialist visited 

 this collection and asked to be given a 

 price on two of the rare plants. One 



was quoted to him at seventy-five dollars, 

 and the other, a very beautiful plant, at 

 one hundred and fifty dollars. He bought 

 them at these prices and a few months 

 later the one hundred and fifty dollar 

 plant was shown by him at a world-fam- 

 ed exhibition where it took the first prize, 

 and was then sold to some admiring rich 

 man for five hundred dollars. An inci- 

 dent like this explains high prices, but 

 the amateur is not to be frightened by 

 such incidents, and they should not keep 

 him from trying his hand at a most in- 

 teresting, even if sometimes a rich man's 

 hobby. 



There are three essentials to success 

 in growing orchids. Should you be able 

 to supply these essentials try a few or- 

 chids. 



First : The greenhouse, or that part of 

 it set aside for the orchids, must always 

 be heated to a temperature ranging from 

 55 degrees F. to 70 degrees F. It would 

 prove fatal to the plants if it fell below 

 45 degrees F. We shall see why, later. 



Second : Proper ventilation must be 

 provided. But it must be provided so 



The Viae, Clemitit Panicnlat*, Growing on the Residence of Mr. Herman Simmeri, Toronto, Ont. 



Thia is an c^a^.v growing, hardy, free flowcriiiB, fra-grant climlK-.r. The vine on the vorandali 



is a Clematis Virginiana, a rapid growing, very bardy, native variety of Clematia. It ie not 



aa nice a vine nor has it as flno foliage as the PanicuLata. 



