J58 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



fruit is set, plunge the plants in frames 

 out of doors and leave them there till 

 the middle of September. This is doubt 

 less better than keeping them under 

 glass. We noticed large quantities in 

 frames in August last in the city of 

 Philadelphia, robust and healthy in 

 foliage and covered with their then 

 green fruit. In September or October 

 the fruit will begin to color, and from 

 that on they can be kept in a tempera 

 ture of 50 to 55 degrees. 



The greatest enemy to oranges is 

 the white scale, and when plants are 

 badly infested with it, especially little 

 plants, it is as well to destroy them, 

 scale and all. If a larger plant in a 

 tub that you value, cut it back in the 



thoroughly understands the most en 

 lightened culture of orchids, has adopted 

 in its practice what may be called the 

 board system of cultivation. For those 

 growing large quantities for the cut 

 blooms, the plan is doubtless admirable, 

 and does not conflict with any cultural 

 directions that will follow. 



In these introductory remarks a few 

 words on the popularity and probable 

 future popularity and profitableness of 

 orchids will not be out of place. It is 

 true that ten years ago, through the 

 efforts of one American firm, there were 

 many small collections disseminated 

 throughout the country, and many of 

 them were not the easiest species to 

 grow, or even good commercial kinds. 



Cattleya Mossiae. 



spring and give the bark two or three 

 spongings with kerosene emulsion. 



Large oranges in tubs are used 

 largely in some parts of Europe for 

 ornamental gardening. We have not 

 yet reached that, and I trust never will, 

 for a large orange tree in a tub is a 

 kind of white elephant to all concerned. 



ORCHIDS. 



There is no class of plants at which 

 the great majority of our commercial 

 men look with greater apprehension than 

 the orchids. To grow them successfully 

 is something they may dream of but 

 never achieve, so they think; but 

 fortunately, much of this mystery re 

 garding their culture is rapidly passing 

 away. Special houses are no longer 

 deemed essential for the successful cul 

 tivation of orchids. It would be rash 

 to say that orchids are among the easiest 

 f plants to grow, because there is a 

 wide difference between keeping them 

 alive only and growing them to perfec 

 tion, or as near perfection as we can 

 with our artificial conditions. Yet it is 

 the truth to say that no plant we grow 

 will stand as much abuse or is more 

 lifficult to kill, providing the neglect is 

 not too prolonged. A commercial firm 

 that, I have every reason to believe, 



Disappointment occurred in hundreds of 

 cases, and for several years you have 

 heard less said of orchids, at any rate, 

 less favorable mention. But another 

 change is about us. Many of our enter 

 prising commercial men realize that 

 orchid fl owers are going to be in de 

 mand, whether they grow them or not, 

 and many of them are going into orchids 

 in a businesslike way, and giving them 

 a portion of their skill and ability, as 

 they have for years given the rose, the 

 carnation, or the violet. And to keep 

 pace with this we now have firms, both 

 at home and abroad, ready to supply us 

 at moderate cost with the most desirable 

 and valuable commercial species and 

 - varieties. 



The writer cannot conceive that there 

 can be a doubt of the ever increasing 

 admiration and fondness for these flow 

 ers, so beautiful, both in form and 

 color, and so long lasting. Admiration 

 they receive now by all, but there is 

 neither supply nor demand as yet for the 

 orchids to amount to much in the aggre 

 gate of our flower sales for the year. 

 I am far from wishing to see the profit, 

 or even liberal profit, of the present few 

 orchid growers cut down, and believe 

 that when the price of a cattleya flower 

 is more in sympathy with the pocket of 

 the average flower buyer the demand 

 will so enormously increase that the 

 immense quantities which will in a few 

 years be sold will be a far better busi 

 ness than the relatively few high- 

 priced flowers sold today. If any peo 

 ple under the sun like and crave for 

 &quot;a change,&quot; it is our own; flowers are 

 no exception, and what a delightful 

 change from the morning, noon and 

 night everlasting Bridesmaid rose is a 

 bunch of cattleyas or many other gor 

 geous orchids. In Covent Garden, the 



Calanthe Veitchii. 



