22 



The Rorists^ Review 



July 7, 1921 



tliis business around the bay. There 

 are only thirty-odd commercial grow- 

 ers of orchids in this country and two 

 of these are located at San Francisco 

 bay. 



Tlie -wholesale trade in orchids, based 

 on figures compiled by Victor A. Fer- 

 rari, including those shipped to all parts 

 of the west and those sold to local 

 retail florists, amounts to more than 

 $100,000 annually. Los Angeles, for in- 

 stance, obtains all its orchids from the 

 bay district. 



TIic Ferrari establishment has under 

 glass more than seven acres devoted to 

 (ircliids and other flowers, and has 20.- 

 000 orchid plants, valued at from $3.50 

 to $10 each. 



Cattleyas Popular. 



A'arieties of cattlcya are popular in 

 San Francisco, and by careful selection 

 a great collection of these has been ac- 

 fumulated, so that even if the blooming 

 season of a single variety is no more 

 tliau thirty days, blossoms from some 

 variety may be had almost any month 

 in the year. For instance, C. labiata 

 blooms from the middle of September 

 to the first of November. C. Schroe- 

 dera* blooms during March. C. Triana; 

 blooms from January to April or May, 

 an unusually long season. C. Mossia; 

 is ill blossom from April 1 to the middle 

 of May. 



The retail trade in orchids in San 

 Francisco is one of the most satisfac- 

 tory departments of the business. Prac- 

 tically the entire territory west of the 

 Rocky mountains is supplied Avitli 

 orchids from the San Francisco green- 

 houses. 



The cattleya group come mainly from 

 South America — the mountains of Co- 

 lombia, the jungles of the" Rio de Ja- 

 neiro and Venezuela. Those grown for 

 coiiiiiu'rcial purposes are usually single 

 blooms. There are several other orchid 



families grown in San Francisco green- 

 houses that are in great demand during 

 their season and many of these bear 

 sprays of blossoms. 



From the Philippines comes the pha- 

 liTHopsis in many lovely forms. Among 

 them are P. amabilis or grandiflora, a 

 white variety with lips fiecked with 

 jiale yellow and red; P. Schilleriana, 

 with white flowers flushed with purple 

 and the characteristic markings on the 

 lip, and P. Stuartiana, with its spikes 

 of white blooms two inches broau. 



Other orchid families that have found 

 a home in the hearts of San Francisco 

 lovers of these flowers are the cypri- 

 pedium, the oncidium and the odon- 

 tioda. 



HOSES FOR DRY REGION. 



In one of the dry-farming counties in 

 New Mexico the women have shown 

 their interest in improving the sur- 

 roundings of their ranch homes by 

 making home beautification a project 

 in the county program of work. Through 

 the assistance of the home demonstra- 

 tion agent, cooperating with the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, these 

 women, during 1920, bought, planted 

 and cared for 1,800 rose bushes, which 

 were planted in twenty-one home gar- 

 dens. The roses include varieties which 

 had never b-na tried before in that sec- 

 tion of the country. They had a two 

 years' growth in a desert region of 

 California and so were accustomed to 

 the type of Foil to which they were 

 transplanted. 



Some of the varieties which made the 

 best growth arc Red Radiance, Crim- 

 son Queen, Lady Battersea, Maman Co- 

 chet, Sunburst, Old Gold, Dorothy Per- 

 kins and Gold of Ophir. The roses 

 were planted in early April in well fer- 

 tilized soil and were protected from the 

 spring winds until growth was well es- 

 tablished. In the fall the bushes were 





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protected by turning a small nail keg 

 without a bottom over them and filling 

 in with earth and manure. 



PRECOCIOUS CHERRIES. 



Our pot-grown Cleveland cherries are 

 blooming and fruiting now. If topped 

 back now, will they bloom and fruit 

 again for Christmas? 



J. A. K. C— Ky. 



If the plants are unshapely, I would 

 advise cutting them back to make them 

 bush up; they will flower and fruit 

 again in time for Christmas. If the 

 plants are of good shape it is not nec- 

 essary to cut them back, as they will 

 make another set of fruit. 



Carl Hagenburger. 



PESTS ON COLEUS LEAVES. 



Will you examine the coleus leaves 

 which I am sending you, and tell me 

 how to get rid of the pests that are on 

 them? H. K.— S. C. 



On the leaves are both mealy bug and 

 white fly. For the former, pressure of 

 cold water directed through a fine noz- 

 zle attached to the hose is the best 

 remedy. It will also aid materially in 

 reducing the numbers of white fly. The 

 latter pest is not easy to combat, ex- 

 cept through the use of hydrocyanic 

 acid gas, directions for which have ap- 

 peared in The Review. However, spray- 

 ing with soap to which a little nicotine 

 has been added will kill many of these 

 pests, but you must keep at it. One or 

 two spraj'ings will not suffice. C. W. 



THE ROSE LEAF-ROLLER. 



I should like to know the best means 

 of getting rid of leaf-rollers on roses. 



S. 0. S.— O. 



For treatment of the rose leaf-roller, 

 spray the plants with a mixture of 

 arsenate of lead, two ]iounds in fifty 

 gallons of water. The application 

 should be made early in the season. 

 In the greenhouses, watch closely for 

 the first appearance of the insect and 

 destroy all the caterpillars before they 

 get a foothold. 



GROWING STEVIA PLANTS. 



Will you please tell us the proper 

 time for benching stevia plants, the date 

 for the last topping back and the 

 earliest they can be brought into bloom? 



O. B.— Can. 



Stevias are injured by a light frost 

 and the plants must be housed before 

 the temperature falls to the freezing 

 point. The last topping can be given 

 about the middle of August. This will 

 allow the plants to make stems of good 

 length for cutting. Personally, I prefer 

 pot culture of stevias. The plants are 

 more under control; there is no breaking 

 of stems nor wilting at lifting time, and 

 plants produce much finer stems. As 

 many as 10,000 potted plants are grown 

 by some stevia specialists, mostly in 

 9-inch and 10-inch pots. Stevia will 

 endure and does best in a low tempera- 

 ture under glass and can be had in 

 flower early in November or may be held 

 in a cold house until March. C. W. 



Field of Calla Lilies in the Vicinity of San Francisco. 



Lansing, Mich. — Earl Edgerton is 

 leaving soon for Honolulu, where he 

 plans to locate in business. 



