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THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



Cypripedium Instgne. 



orchid, should be in every collection. 

 It is of easy culture and a very free 

 bloomer. A temperature of 55 degrees 

 at night suits it well, as the flowers 

 are a much better color than those 

 grown in a higher temperature. It is 

 a native of northern India and blooms 

 in autumn. Do not over.pot this plant, 

 . and suspend as near the glass as pos 

 sible. 



Vanda insignis, a grand old sort from 

 the Malayan islands, blooms in May 

 or June. It has large spikes of flow 

 ers of a magnificent combination of 

 colors, is of easy culture and a very 

 free bloomer. 



Vanda suavis; one can hardly say 

 enough about this old favorite from 

 Java, blooming at all times of the year, 

 large spikes of beautiful white flowers 

 spotted with crimson. I have seen this 

 plant in bloom ten months out of the 

 year. 



Vanda tricolor is similar to suavis, 

 of the same habit, and requires the 

 same treatment, only the flowers are 

 lemon yellow, with crimson spots, purple 

 and white lip, and last a very long time. 

 It also is a native of Java. 



OTHONNA. 



The species crassifolia is worthy* of 

 notice. Because of its succulent, fleshy 

 leaves it is one of our very best bas 

 ket plants. It withstands the heat and 

 drying-out process which our hanging 

 baskets undergo better than almost any 

 of the plants we use for that purpose. 



It is most easily increased by cut 



tings at any time of the year. A 

 rather light, sandy soil suits it best, 

 and when its pendent growth is any 

 length you should find some place for 

 it on a shelf. Don t give it a cold, 

 damp place in the greenhouse, but keep 

 it warm and growing, and you can 

 multiply it indefinitely, as the small 

 pieces of the stem will root anywhere. 



OXALIS. 



A very large genus, of which a few 

 are very familiar plants. 0. rosea 

 (floribunda) and O. lutea (yellow) are 

 grown as pot plants and sold in the 

 spring, and they make excellent basket 

 plants, but not mixed with other plants. 

 They do much better and have a finer 

 effect when in a mass by themselves. 

 An earthen basket or suspended pan is 

 better for the oxalis than a wire basket, 

 but either will do. 



They divide readily, which is best 

 done in winter when the plants are 

 partly dormant. They dislike a wet, 

 heavy soil, and need a good, light loam, 

 well drained, and an airy, sunny ex 

 posure. In the fall give them less water, 

 and for December, January and Febru 

 ary they could rest under a dry bench 

 in a cool house with very little water. 

 In March start them growing and divide 

 if you wish. 



They can also be raised from seed. 

 There are a great many species, hav 

 ing yellow, white, pink and violet flow 

 ers, all greenhouse perennials, besides a 



Laelia Anceps. 



