18 



The Florists* Review 



Janoart 18, 1917. 



POINTERS ON ORCHIDS. 



Does it make any difference whether 

 orchid houses are heated by steam or 

 by hot water? I refer in particular to 

 cattleya houses. What is the advantage 

 of growing the plants close to the glass? 

 "Will they not do as well in a high house 

 aa in ft low onof B. W. A.— Ky. 



Orchid houses may be heated by either 

 steam or hot water. I prefer hot water, 

 as it is a softer heat and does not 

 create so arid an atmosphere. Some 

 large growers, however, use steam suc- 

 cessfully. Cattleyas prefer a roomy 

 house where they can have plenty of 

 air. Cypripediums and other varieties 

 do better in smaller houses where they 

 can be kept more close and humid. Cat- 

 tleyas, and in fact all orchids, to suc- 

 ceed well must be staged or hung as 

 near the glass as i)Ossible. They will 

 grow well if placed a long distance 

 from the glass, but they will never 

 flower satisfactorily. C. W. 



BUND SHEATHS ON CATTLEYAS. 



I am sending you a bulb of Cattleya 

 Triansp. I have but recently taken 

 charge of my present place and I find 

 that many of the plants of C. Trianso 

 were aflfected in the same way last 

 year. The sheaths turned yellow and 

 "never flowered. Some turned yellow 

 before the flowers showed in the 

 sheaths and some after the flowers 

 were seen. Not all the flowers on a 

 plant were so affected; some were all 

 right. A few of the cattleya flowers 

 dried up at the top of the sepal and 

 at the edge of the petal also. The 

 plants were not dry at the time. 



F. F.— Cal. 



There are one or two probable causes 

 for blind sheaths on Cattleya Triansp. 

 The principal cause is too heavy shad- 

 ing on the plants. This keeps the 

 plants of a fine, dark green color, such 

 as your bulb has, but the growth is 

 soft' and a large part of the bulbs will 

 throw blind sheaths, as yours have 

 done. Too much water at the root 

 when the growth is being completed 

 will also help to cause this trouble. 

 You will find that in a number of cases, 

 even when the flower sheath dies in 

 this way, the bulb flowers just the 

 same. 



To overcome the trouble another sea- 

 son, I would give the plants more light, 

 especially when growth is well made 

 up, and gradually reduce the water 

 supply at that time. Be sure to air 

 the jJlants freely. In your latitude it 

 should bo possible to air day and night 

 the whole year around. Cattleyas 

 abominate coddling, and resei\t it by 

 making quantities of ai-rial roots and 

 "petering out" niucli earlier than 

 those grown cooler and aired freely. 

 In winter .10 to 5;j degrees at night is 

 better than 60 to G5 degrees; in fact, 

 T would rather have the temperature 

 4.") degrees than 65 degrees, especially 

 if much fire heat has to be used. 



C. W. 



NERINES AND BEQONIAS. 



I have some clumps of coral-red 

 nerines growing outdoors. These have 

 not been disturbed for thirty years. 

 When should they be divided and trans- 

 planted? Where can I get the white 

 and pink sorts? 



Where can I procure Begonia La 

 Vesuve, as mentioned in The Review 

 of August 10, and the large-flowered 

 English hybrids, as referred to in The 

 Review of December 7? S. B.— Ga. 



Nerines start to grow in October and 

 should be transplanted just before the 

 growing season starts. When pot-grown 

 they coJiipJete their growth about the 

 end of May and are then kept abso- 

 lutely dust-dry until flower spikes ap- 

 pear in early fall. I do not know of 

 any American concern offering white 

 varieties; they are, as yet, quite scarce. 

 Pink is more abundant. Our American 

 firms usually catalogue a couple of va- 

 rieties only. Larger assortments may 

 be purchased in England, the Channel 

 islands and Holland. 



Begonia La Vesuve, also called 

 Vesuvius, is a fibrous-rooted variety, 

 easily grown from seed procurable from 

 a number of seedsmen. The large Eng- 

 lish hybrids can be had from John 

 Scheepers & Co., Stone street, New 

 York. C. W. 



VINCA LEAT-SPOT. 



I am sending some vincas under sep- 

 arate cover. They seem to be affected 

 wilh seme kind of leaf-spot. Can you 

 tell me the cause of it and the remedv 

 for it? R. M. G.— Mont. " 



This is not at all unusual during 

 dark, cold weather. Cut back the af- 

 fected plants close to the pots. They 

 invariably break away again, perfectly 

 healthy. During dark, cold weather 

 avoid overhead spraying. If the trouble 

 seems to spread, give the plants a 

 sj)raying with a goocl fungicide, such as 

 Fungine or Bordeaux mixture. C. W. 



VEGETABLES AND 

 FRUITS DEPARTMENT I 



TOMATOES NEED POTASH. 



We are growing a winter crop of to- 

 matoes and commenced picking Decem- 

 ber 10. Can you tell us why many of 

 the tomatoes have green spots when 

 they begin to ripen and why they do 

 not ripen with the skin red all over? 

 Also, why do many of them fall off be- 

 fore they ripen? W. F.— N. Y. 



Without understanding more about 

 your cultural conditions, it is not easy 

 to say just what is the trouble with your 

 tomatoes. I think they undoubtedly are- 

 growing too rankly and that the soil has 

 been kept too moist to suit them; also, 

 that you have been giving them an ex- 

 cess of nitrogenous food and too little 

 potash. Let your plants dry out well 

 between waterings. Do not apply liquid 

 manure at this season; if the plants are 

 starved at all at the roots, rather give 

 them a top-dressing of some old, well 

 decayed manure. Add a little potash to 

 this, even if merely-^ Tts^ing of un- 

 leached wood ashes. Let the" tempera- 

 ture average 60 to 62 degrees at night. 

 Keep a dry, buoyant atmosphere and 

 shorten back the leaves to let all pos- 

 sible light reach the fruit. Tomatoes in- 

 midwinter do much better with their 

 roots in restricted borders. C. W. 



Anderson, Ind. — A bad freeze last 

 month, following a blow-out of two sec- 

 tions of the "hot water boiler, brought 

 ruin to several thousand plants at the D. 

 W. Leatherman range. Among the ruined: 

 stock was a lot of new double Viaud 

 geraniums. A fellow florist is taking 

 care of some white carnations originateil 

 by Mr. Leatherman, who expects to ex- 

 hibit them at the meeting of the Amer- 

 ican Carnation Society at Indianapolis 

 January .31. 



ODCN LCTlB^y^ DEADED6 



AMERICA'S NATIONAL FLOWER. 



Why Not Choose the Gladiolus? 



The article on a national flower, l)y 

 C. S. Harrison, of Nebraska, in a re- 

 cent issue of The Review, deserves more 

 attention than it seems to liave received. 

 Sometime a national flower will be 

 chosen, and when the decision is reached 

 it will probably be reached in some- 

 thing of a hurry, as in all national mat- 

 ters when forced by the ])eople. Why, 

 then, may we not give the subject more 

 attention as we go along, helping just 

 a little every little while, and advanc- 

 ing toward the desirable 6])ject in an 

 educational way.* Anything that is 

 bound to come some future day should 

 not be lightly tossed aside, even if an 

 immediate decision is impossible. 



It might be asked, wliat is desired in 

 a national flower.* First, something 



with bright, clear and pleasing colors; 

 second, a flower which is easily han- 

 dled by the masses, including the chil- 

 <lren, and which will not be easily de- 

 stroyed; third, one that can be procured 

 cheaply, in quantity, and easily grown 

 by everybody. 



Objections to the Iris. 



A number of years ago it was my 

 privilege to publish a small floral paper. 

 It was the time when the first furor re- 

 garding a national flower passed over 

 the country. My preference was then 

 for the goldenrod — so bright and golden 

 in color, at home everywhere in the 

 United States, and easily handled. 

 Many others advocated it also, but the 

 cry of "weed" rather hurt its good 

 name and it was gradually dropped. 

 The moimtain laurel has been advocat- 

 ed, also the rose, and many other flowers- 

 of less known value. 



