^9^ 





fW THE ^>s 



ORCHIDS NOW ARE 



GETTING THE MONEY 



r. 



Orchids are becoming more and more popular with the flower buyers, and 

 this summer have brought higher prices than ever before. Consequently orchids 

 make an increasingly good crop for the grower. This article deals with the 

 popular varieties and gives some seasonable hints on how they should be grown. 



T has been a good summer 

 for nearly all orchids, par- 

 ticularly so for cattleyas, 

 laelias, phalsenopsis, eypri- 

 pediums, calanthes, den- 

 drobiums and vandas. The 

 heat wave in late July 

 and early August proved a 

 little hard on odontoglos- 

 sums, masdevallias and 

 ccelogynes, but with cooler conditions 

 they have much improved. A year ago 

 we had many cool nights in July and 

 August. This year we have had few 

 Buch nights and fire heat has been lit- 

 tle needed, even for phalsenopsis and 

 calanthes. The generous amount of 

 sunshine for some weeks past insures 

 well matured bulbs, and a good fall and 

 winter crop of flowers. In spite of some 

 contraction in the buying of cut flowers, 

 it is noticeable that orchids have not 

 suffered at all, and during the present 

 summer they have realized higher 

 prices than ever before. In this con- 

 nection we might note that orchid 

 flowers continue to sell well in Great 

 Britain in spite of three years of war 

 and heavy taxes, and that prices at 

 auction sales are satisfactory and nearly 

 as high as in pre-war times. It does 

 not look, therefore, as though orchid 

 growers need be unduly alarmed over 

 the prospect of any great slump in the 

 prices of either plants or cut flowers 

 here. 



Cattleyas. 



The month of August, 1917, will be 

 remembered as one of high prices on 

 cattleyas. At the time of the S. A. F. 

 convention the few flowers obtainable 

 were held at $2 each at wholesale in 

 New York, and brought nearly as much 

 in other large cities. There have been 

 an unusual number of weddings inci- 

 dental to the war, calling for choice 

 flowers, and orchids always have a call 

 on .such occasions. The prices are in- 

 variably higher in August than at 

 Christmas. Those who had good batches 

 of the small-flowered C. Harrisonise, an 

 August bloomer, made good money. 

 That charming hybrid, C. Miss Wil- 

 liams, has also proved most useful. A 

 few late Gaskellianas and gigas are 

 about all the other varieties which have 

 been obtainable. The first flowers of 

 C. labiata are well advanced. These 

 are sure to net high prices. Plants with 

 buds well advanced in the sheaths 

 should have a light and not too heavily 

 shaded position at the end of the cat- 

 tleya house. It is unfortunate that 

 imported plants of this most useful 

 cattleya get smaller each year and are 

 mostly but small seedlings. Surely any- 

 one with the courage to raise seedlings 

 under glass would find it a profitable 

 venture. 



The bulbs on C. Trianae are well de- 

 veloped. So are those on C. Percival- 

 iana. If these are too heavily shaded, 



they may take on a fine dark hue, but 

 the flower buds will be fewer, espe- 

 cially on TriansB. The sun's power is 

 gradually declining and where the shade 

 is heavy it should be reduced. Give 

 abundant ventilation. Cattleya houses 

 should never be closed at this season, no 

 matter if the nights do turn somewhat 

 cooler. When syringing, do it fairly 

 early in the day, so that the foliage 

 and bulbs will be quite dry before 

 sunset. 



Calanthes. 



It has been a good season for calan- 

 thes, the heat-loving terrestrial or- 

 chids. The bulbs are not yet fully de- 

 veloped, but are sufliciently made up 

 so that flower spikes are showing at the 

 base. An effort should be made to keep 

 the foliage green as long as possible, 

 and if cool nights come along it will 

 pay to start a little fire for their ben- 

 efit, even if it be only a fire of wood 

 sufficient to warm the pipes and dry up 

 the house a little. On cold, damp days 

 a little artificial heat, with some top 

 ventilation, will benefit the plants a 

 great deal. Provided the pots or pans 

 are well filled with roots, calanthes now 

 will stand applications of cow manure 

 water once in four or five days. I also 

 find that a top-dressing of sphagnum 

 and old cow manure is eagerly devoured 

 by them. Spray only on warm, clear 

 days, and be careful not to overdo it 

 or leaf -spot will soon develop. Calan- 



Cattleya 



Labiata 



Is the 



One 



Best 



Bet 



for the 



Grower 



of 

 Flowers 

 [for I 

 Cuttings. <«4^ 



