THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



161 



COELOGYNE. This genus has many spe 

 cies and varieties, though very few are 

 of much value to the commercial florist. 

 The most useful is the beautiful 



Coelogyne cristata grandiflora, which 

 produces its graceful racemes of white 

 flowers with yellow blotches on throat 

 in early spring. This plant is of com 

 paratively easy culture. It likes abun 

 dance of water during its growing sea 

 son, which lasts till the bulbs have ma 

 tured, when water should be withheld 

 until the flower spikes are well advanced ; 

 otherwise they will start growing again 

 instead of blooming. This species grows 

 best in pots or pans, giving the plants 

 plenty of room and good drainage. Ele 

 vate the bulbs on a compost of good 

 fibrous peat, broken charcoal, or pot 

 sherds about the size of hazel nuts, and 

 sphagnum moss, and finish off with live 

 sphagnum as a top dressing. Potting 

 should be done as soon as the flowering 

 season is over. This plant will do well 

 in a night temperature of 50 to 55 de 

 grees in winter. 



CYPRIPEDIUM. This peculiarly inter 

 esting genus is of easy culture. They 

 may be grown in either pots or pans, in 

 equal parts of good, fibrous peat and 

 live sphagnum; a little broken charcoal 

 is beneficial, as it prevents the compost 

 from becoming sour. You can feed liquid 

 manure to the strong growing varieties 

 and it will materially help them if they 

 are well rooted. They like plenty of 

 water during summer, their growing sea 

 son, and being evergreen and having no 

 bulbs to feed from, should never be 

 allowed to suffer from lack of it. Do 

 not overshade cypripediums, as they de 

 light in a strong light. Most all va- 



Cattleya Gigas. 



rieties require a warm temperature. The 

 following are the best for commercial 

 purposes : 



Cypripedium insigne is a cool-house 

 species, but can be grown in a warm 

 house. It is a profuse bloomer if well 

 cared for, flowers in winter, and lasts 

 a long time in perfection. It is very 

 beneficial to put it outside for three 

 months in summer, slightly shaded and 

 well watered. 



Cypripedium Harrisianum, a fine 

 hybrid, often flowering twice a year, is 

 a fine bloomer and stronger grower than 

 most cypripediums, therefore requires 

 plenty of pot-room and should be grown 

 in a warm house. 



Cypripedium Lawrenceanum, another 

 species requiring a warm, moist atmos 

 phere, is a good bloomer, with bold, 

 straight stems and beautifully marked 

 flower. Blooms in summer and autumn; 

 do not over-pot it. 



Cypripedium Spicerianum, which I 

 consider the queen of the , genus, is a 

 very free grower and good bloomer, and 

 is a great favorite in the cut flower mar 

 ket. It requires a warm temperature, 

 flowers in early spring, and lasts a long 

 time. 



Cypripedium villosum, a grand species 

 from India ; similar in color to insigne, 

 but the flowers are much larger, and 

 have the appearance of being varnished. 

 This is a very useful sort, as it will 

 thrive in either a cool or warm house, 

 and should be in every collection. It 

 is a very strong grower, requiring plenty 

 of pot-room. 



DENDROBIUM. The members of this 

 genus are almost numberless, and in 

 clude some of the most beautiful, as 



well as the most useful, orchids for the 

 cut flower trade. They can be grown in 

 pots or baskets, with plenty of drainage 

 and a compost of good, fibrous peat and 

 live sphagnum, with some broken char 

 coal or potsherds mixed with it. They 

 require a warm temperature during their 

 growing season, with plenty of water, 

 but several species, such as Wardianum, 

 nobile, Devonianum, etc., should be 

 moved to a cool house as soon as they 

 have stopped growing, and left there 

 until their flower buds are well ad 

 vanced, when they may go into a little 

 warmer house to flower. If this treat 

 ment is followed up you will be seldom, 

 if ever, disappointed in the results of 

 your labors. Watch for the thrips on 

 these plants, as they soon destroy them 

 if allowed to remain. 



Dendrobium Wardianum, a beautiful 

 species from Assam, is perhaps the best. 

 It is a very strong grower and good 

 bloomer if above instructions are fol 

 lowed, but be sure you do not over-pot 

 this species, as nothing is more injurious 

 to it. It blooms in early spring and 

 lasts a long time if kept cool and dry. 

 It should be grown in a basket, sus 

 pended. 



Dendrobium nobile is a well-known 

 old species from India, requiring the 

 same treatment as Wardianum, but can, 

 if necessity requires, be grown cooler 

 and kept back, or forced into flower, 

 as desired by the grower, at any time 

 from December to May. 



Dendrobium formosum giganteum, a 

 beautiful variety, differs somewhat from 

 the preceding, as it is evergreen and 

 produces its beautiful, large flowers of 

 pure white, with yellow blotched lip on 



