Jvt.t 30. 1914. 



Tlie Florists' Review 



19 



year, and after a broiling day a spray- 

 ing overhead is refreshing to nearly all 

 orchids. This can be given to cypri- 

 pediums about the middle of the after- 

 noon. Gattleyas are also much bene- 

 fited by a spraying over, and the after- 

 )ioon is the best time to apply it. Al- 

 vvays use a fine spray nozzle; the quan- 

 tity of water from an open hose is too 

 heavy and is liable to be harmful rather 

 than helpful. 



Potting. 



This is not a season when much pot- 

 ting can be done, but where there is a 

 collection of orchids there are few 

 weeks in the year when some will not 

 :equire overhauling. Newly imported 

 oattlayas, such as labiatas, which ar- 

 rive late, do better if not potted until 

 they are pushing new roots and 

 ijrowths. The labiatas now arriving 

 are small and quite costly. No specimen 

 <• lumps are obtainable, and if a decent 

 looking plant is wanted several pieces 

 nmst be put together. Be sure to pot 

 lirmly and water lightly until the roots 

 l)ecome active. 



Ventilation. 



Gattleyas should have the top ventila- 

 tors wide open practically night and 

 day now. They cannot tolerate cod- 

 dling; only when the outside minimum . 

 goes below 60 degrees need the ventila- 

 tors be lowered. Cypripediums want a 

 stuffier and moister atmosphere, but 

 some night ventilation for them is also 

 a benefit. Even the dendrobiums mak- 

 ing up their growths do better if not 

 coddled up too tightly, to say nothing 

 of phalaenopsis and other East Indian 

 genera. 



Calanthes. 



Galanthes now are in vigorous growth 

 and have, or should have, their pots 

 full of active roots. Feeding with cow 

 manure water twice a week will now be 

 of decided benefit. Start with it rather 

 weak and give somewhat stronger doses 

 later. To give the plants every chance 

 for development, some of the more ro- 

 bust ones can be elevated on pots. 

 While it is possible to feed calanthes 

 with chemicals, the cow manure will be 

 found much safer. Spray the plants 

 over each afternoon unless the weather 

 is cold and damp. Close the house 

 about 3:30 p. m. This will permit a 

 brisk heat to be bottled up. 



MUtonia Vexillaria. 



Plants of Miltonia vexillaria will 

 soon be passing out of flower. As soon 

 as the blooms have faded, dip the plants 

 in a soap or nicotine solution to clean 

 out the thrips, which are partial to this 

 orchid and speedily disfigure the 

 foliage if not sharply watched. Keep 

 the plants on the dry side after flower- 

 ing and stand them in a cool, airy 

 house. 



Cattleya Oaskelliana. 



With the passing of Cattleya Mossiae, 

 the variety to fall back on is C. Oas- 

 kelliana. This will give flowers for a 

 number of weeks. The flowers are hard- 

 , ly so attractive as those of C. Mossia;, 

 l>ut are equally large and come in use- 

 ful at this time, when cattleyas are get- 

 ting scarce. Stand plants in flower in 

 •' cool and well-shaded place. 



Bockland, Mass.— John W. Beal, pro 

 irietor of the Bockland Flower Shop, 



'pent a week in caaip at Hingham with 

 the First Corpj <!adets, of which he is 



I member. 



A Christmas Crop of Labiata and Percivaliana at Albert T. Hey'st Maywood> 111. 



SPANISH ntis. 



I am thinking of growing Spanish 

 iris outside for cut flowers and as I 

 know nothing of their culture, would 

 like to have you tell me what kind of 

 soil to use, how close and how deep to 

 plant and how to fertilize them. How 

 long should they stay in the same place 

 before separating and planting the new 

 bulbs, and how shall I get the new 

 bulbs? My location is in the state of 

 Virginia. W. A. L. 



Spanish iris is popularly, but quite 

 erroneously, supposed to be tender. As 

 a matter of fact, they are among the 

 hardiest and most easily cultivated 

 bulbs we have. A temperature of 25 

 to 30 degrees below zero has not 

 harmed them in the least. The bulbs 

 usually arrive about the end of Sei>- 

 tember. It is better, however, not to 

 plant them out at once, and in your 

 latitude November 1 will be sufficiently 

 early. If planted as soon as received 

 the bulbs make a great deal of growth 

 before cold weather, and while it is 

 true that severe' frost does not seem to 

 harm these growths, I consider it an 

 advantage to delay planting for a few 

 weeks after the bulbs arrive. Spread 

 the bulbs out thinly meantime, and 

 keep in a cool, dry shed or cellar. 



Spanish iris will grow in almost any 

 soil and is not particular as to location 

 so long as water does not lie on the 

 ground in winter. This would cause 

 the bulbs to rot. A somewhat light, 

 friable loam is particularly good, how- 

 ever, and if somewhat sandy, all the 

 better. Do not use any fresh manure 

 for these, or, for that matter, any other 

 bulbs. Let it be well rotted and in- 

 corporated. Plant the bulbs four inches 

 deep; if in nursery rows they can go 

 four inches apart, making the rows 

 eighteen inches apart. A good way is 

 to plant in beds three feet wide, run- 

 ning five rows to a bed and leaving a 

 24-inch path between the beds. 



You ask how long bulbs can stay in 

 one place. With suitable soil and by 

 not cutting the stems down clofie to 

 the ground, I have had beds fower 



well for eight a.nd ten years. If you 

 cut all the plants down close, you can- 

 not, of course, expect much of a ci-op 

 the year following. However, Spanish 

 iris is inexpensive and you can afford 

 to plant a new bed annually. The fol- 

 lowing are splendid varieties of Span- 

 ish iris for either open air culture or 

 for forcing under glass. It is far bet- 

 ter to buy named varieties than cheap 

 mixtures: Cajames, bright yellow; 

 Bronze Queen, bronze brown and yel- 

 low; Louise, porcelain blue and yellow, 

 fine; British Queen, pure white; Mid- 

 ley, fine pale blue; Unique, dark blue 

 standards, pale blue falls. C. W. 



THE WASTE OF PEINTINQ. 



No man whose name and address 

 is known to the trade as a horticultur- 

 ist can possibly order from a tithe of 

 the catalogues he receives, and it may 

 reasonably be presumed that prospec- 

 tive buyers are in the first place in- 

 fluenced by appearances and the gen- 

 eral get-up to peruse some catalogues, 

 while others are cast aside without a 

 second thought. Hence the value of 

 choosing a good paper, and a capable 

 printer. 



It is, however, equally important and 

 necessary that the contents shall be 

 good, the nomenclature and descrip 

 tions of the subject listed accurat 

 and if illustrations are used at all 

 they must be true to life, and instruc- 

 tive in character. 



No one can deny that there are many 

 catalogues that reach the ideal in these 

 respects. But there are others, shod- 

 dily produced, frequently inaccurate 

 or uninformative or — all too often — 

 slavish imitations of other folks' handi- 

 work, revealing no vestige of original- 

 ity or distinctiveness. 



Such catalogues can be nothing more 

 than a waste of money and material, 

 and are just as incompetent to fulfill 

 their purpose as a traveler or salesman 

 who knows nothing of his business, and 

 is incapable of either advising or per- 

 suading clients in regard to the goods 

 he has to offer. H. T. J. 



V 



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