Ski'Tember 4, 19i;{. 



The Florists^ Review 



15 



overhauled and any repotting or top- 

 dressing is done, they can be kept 

 moister at the root. Leave the venti- 

 lators wide open night and day.- Never 

 mind if the minimum temperature falls 

 to 50 degrees. O. grande, commonly 

 called the baby orchid, is a useful fall- 

 flowering variety, and does not mind 

 the summer heat as the crispum family 

 does. 



Coelogyne Cristata. 



Coelogyne cristata succeeds well in 

 the cool end of a cattleya house. It 

 also grows well with odontoglossums, 

 and in coldframes. Spray the plants 

 over each afternoon. Plants which 

 have not been overhauled for several 

 years and have their pots, pans or bas- 

 kets full of roots will be much bene- 

 fited by a watering with weak liquid 

 manure once a week until the end of 

 September. 



Vanda Caerulea. 



If your plants of Vanda caerulea are 

 growing in heavy, or even moderately 

 heavy shade, ypu will get a beautiful 

 dark green color on the leaves, but the 

 crop of spikes will be disappointing. 

 Give the plants a light position, close 

 to the glass. The cool end of the 

 cattleya house will suit them. If you - 

 have some fresh sphagnum moss, give 

 the pots a surfacing of it. Somehow 

 this yaTula, in company with many 

 other ^^ilas, aerides and saccolabiums, 

 seems to do particularly well with 

 sphagnum growing on the surface of 

 the pots or pans in which they are con- 

 tained. 



Vanda teres is a truly beautiful 

 orchid, but its culture, while not diffi- 

 cult, is not generally understood. The 

 plant is a strong grower, but much more 

 slender in habit than most other vandas. 

 It would be one of the most useful of 

 florists ' orchids if growers could* only 

 make it flower more freely. Fine, 

 healthy plants are frequently seen with- 

 out a solitary flower. The reason is 

 always the same — too much shade and 

 too much water. This vanda should be 

 stood in a hot, dry situation, merely 

 shielded from the direct midsummer 

 sun — such a location, in fait, as cacti 

 would revel in. Treated thus, they are 

 sure to flower well. 



Oncidiums. 



Give the pans or baskets of Oncldium 

 varicosum Kogersii a good supply of 

 water. When possible, j^ut them up 

 near the glass. In such a jrosition they 

 are a little more clear of snails, which 

 sometimes harass them badly. Wrap a 

 piece of cotton-wool around the base 

 of each spike as soon as it appears, as 

 a protection from these marauders. 

 O. ornithorhynchum shouM be similarly 

 protected, and the odontoglossums 

 should not be omitted. ^ 



Calanthes. 



Calanthes are now in active growth 

 and should be carefully watched and 

 encouraged in every way, to plump up 

 large bulbs. The pots ar. now full of 

 active feeding roots, and :is the plants 

 have taken up about all the available 

 food, some manurial stiimilauts should 

 be given. There is notiung better or 

 safer than cow manure t'oi this purpose, 

 and it is safe to give it stronger than 

 would be advisable I'"" cffilogynes, 

 cypripediunis or sonte "ther orchids. 

 Protect calanthes from direct sunshine, 

 but give them all possiMo light when 

 the sun is not shining. 



WALLACE J. PILCHER. 



117HEN Wallace .7. Pilcher's name is placed under the head of "Who's Who," 

 "" there are several good reasons "why." He is one of the leading growers 

 of Kirkwood, Mo.; he is the originator of the Mazzura violet; he was the first 

 florist in the vicinity of St. Louis to build high, MJde greenhouses, and he was 

 recently elected presiden^of the St. Louis Florists' (Mub. In view of what he has 

 accomplished, his acquaintances seem to have sufficient grounds for their declara- 

 tion that "he is a man of good qualities and a hustler," and sufficient grounds 

 for their belief that the affairs of the club will prosper under his direction. Mr. 

 Pilcher is 41 years of age. He is a strong believer in specializing and grows only 

 two varieties of flowers, Mazzura violets under glass and America gladioli in the 

 field. He has been a member of the St. Louis Florists' Club since 1903. 



Miltonia "Vexillaria. 



A cool house is best for Miltonia 

 vexillaria during the hot months. With 

 the advent of cooler weather they can 

 l)e repotted and given a surfacing of 

 live sphagnum. The water supply 

 should be restricted at this season. 

 More can be given when the plants 

 start growing again. After October this 

 miltonia succeeds well at the cool end 

 of the cattleya house, where it can have 

 a light position, including full sun from 

 December 1 to March 1. 



SOIL FOR POTTING. 



There seems to be a diversity of 

 opinion as to the merits and demerits 

 of sifted soil for greenhouse jturposes. 

 All admit that in some cases it is just 

 the thing, but some say that for ordi- 

 nary bench use, a somewhat coarse 

 grade of soil, or soil coarse in mechan- 

 ical texture, should be used. I do not 



believe the i)resence of hard lumps of 

 soil and manure is particularlv con- 

 ducive to good results. I should like, 

 therefore, to have this special phase of 

 greenhouse processes explained. 



F. ('. F. 



Sifted compost is suitable for plants 

 only while they are comparativelv 

 young seedlings or cuttings, rt should 

 not be used in any pots over four inches 

 in diameter, as coarser material, con- 

 taining a greater l>^dy of fiber, is more 

 wearing and does not sour, as does the 

 sifted material. For bedding plants and 

 for many other plants in the earlier 

 stages of growth, this screened soil is 

 all right, especially if they will not 

 have to remain in the pots long. 



For practically all plants in ]iots of 

 over four inches, and for some plants 

 pven smaller, uns<M'eened compost is 

 preferable. The coarser material can 

 be placed over the crocks used for 

 drainage. Decayed manure mixed in 



