Stove and Greenhouse Plants and Flowers 189 



Fig. 288. Dendrobium nobile 



The prices obtained for Orchid 

 blooms vary greatly. For the 

 "weedy" flowers already indicated 

 the returns are low. Odonto- 

 glossums range from 2s. to 6s. 

 per dozen, and Cattleyas from 6s. 

 to 18s. or even 24s. per dozen. 

 Dendrobiums may realize from 

 Is. to 3s. per dozen, and Ccelogyiie 

 cristata sell at a somewhat similar 

 rate. Large sprays of golden 

 Oncidiums will range from Is. to 

 5s. each, according to their size, 

 quality, and colouring, while a 

 fine spike of a Phalaenopsis may 

 bring anything from 3s. to 20s. 

 The Cypripediums are most in 

 evidence during the dull months 

 of the year, and as they are par- 

 ticularly long-lived when cut they 

 are extremely popular for personal 



wear or general decorations. The common Cypripedium insiyne is some- 

 times offered in the City of London, by the street flower girls, at one penny 

 each, consequently the return to 

 the grower must in such cases 

 have been a very small one in- 

 deed. However, when choice 

 flowers are sold at such a low 

 rate it usually happens that the 

 market has been overloaded with 

 them for once in a way; well- 

 grown flowers should realize from 

 Is. to 3s. or 4s. per dozen, accord- 

 ing to their size and variety. Re- 

 ferring again to Cypripedium 

 insigne, it must be remembered 

 that this Orchid is an easy one 

 to manage, and in an ordinary 

 season it does not require arti- 

 ficial heat for three or four of 

 the warmer months of the year. 

 A plant in an 8-in. pot should 



produce a dozen flowers, and a FI S- y.-DevdroUum Wardianum 



fair-sized house will hold a very 



large number of such plants ; and so it is not difficult to estimate fairly well 



the number of blooms a given area devoted to their culture will produce. 



