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NOVEMBXR 4, 1915. 



The Florists^ Review 



X7 



21, w.e wish to corroborate his state- 

 ment as to the use of muck or rotted 

 peat for making hydrangea flowers 

 blue. Here, in Florida, we have chiefly 

 a mucky soil for pot plants, or, at 

 least, a soil full of humus from rotted 

 leaves and grasses. Our hydrangeas of 

 Otaksa type are always intensely blue, 

 never pink. However, if the plants are 



left in the soil for several years and 

 merely given chemical fertilizers on 

 the surface, without any fresh soil, the 

 flowers gradually turn pink, for. the 

 humus substance has become exhausted. 

 This is a fact of long experience with 

 us, and may be of some benefit to those 

 growing hydrangeas in the north. 



Beasoner Bros. 



SEASONABLE NOTES. 



Shading. 



The season is now sufficiently ad- 

 vanced so that much of the shading of 

 a removable nature can be washed from 

 the cattleya house. Of course we shall 

 still have days when the sun will be 

 quite hot and it would be a great mis- 

 take to remove everything at once. 

 This would be harmful unless the plants 

 were in houses glazed with ground glass, 

 which for some months will now break 

 the sun's rays sufficiently. Be careful, 

 however, not to expose any plants in 

 flower to the direct sun, or they will 

 become badly scorched. These latter 

 should be stood at one end of the house, 

 where they can be shaded and kept 

 somewhat cooler. 



Cypripediums will still need shade; 

 in fact, it is a mistake to ever clean 

 the glass entirely where these are grow- 

 ing, if foliage of a good dark green 

 color is needed. 



Watering. 



The idea that cattleyas needed a long 

 period of drying up each season in or- 

 der to grow and flower them success- 

 fully has been pretty well exploded. 

 They are better kept a little drier after 

 the flowering season has passed, and 

 after repotting, but more harm than 

 good is done by allowing them to go 

 long periods without water. It may be 

 true that in their native habitats they 

 have long spells of drought annually, 

 but these are always modified by heavy 

 night dews, which prevent excessive 

 shriveling. As a matter of fact, cat- 

 tleyas do better under glass if grown 

 on almost continually. This is specially 

 true of hybrids, many of which produce 

 two sets of growths and give two crops 

 of flowers a year, and which need no 

 resting at all. 



All watering should now be done in 

 the morning and also any syringing, so 

 that the plants will be free from mois- 

 ture at nightfall. On dull days little 

 or no watering should be needed and, 

 of course, daily waterings are no longer 

 necessary. Twice a week should suf- 

 fice for cattleyas in ordinary weather. 

 Later in the year this may be still 



further reduced. In sunless weather 

 little watering is needed. 



Ventilation. • 



Cattleyas, above all orchids, are im- 

 patient of tightly closed ventilators. 

 They love and must have air. There 

 are but few days in the year when 

 either bottom or top ventilation cannot 

 be given. Avoid high temperatures; 60 

 degrees at 7 a. m. is better than 65 

 degrees. Never mind if the minimum 

 falls to 55 degrees, while in midwinter 

 even lower than this will do no harm. 

 The results of a too high and close at- 

 mosphere for cattleras are soon seen in 

 roots hanging outside the receptacles, 

 rather than penetrating the compost. 

 The unthinking applaud these aerial 

 roots, but they are a sign of distress 

 in cattleyas. It will always be noticed 

 that bulbs on such plants have a more 

 or less shriveled appearance and bloom 

 unsatisfactorily compared with others. 



at our autumn shows without it! It 

 flowers with wonderful freedom from 

 even small bulbs. It brings the most 

 satisfactory prices early and late in the 

 season. A few manage to hold some 

 until Christmas, when the highest prices 

 of the year are always obtainable. It 

 is unfortunate that this cattleya be- 

 comes more expensive each year, the 

 plants also becoming smaller. If some 

 enterprising specialist would start in 

 cross fertilizing extra good Cattleya 

 labiata, save the seed and- go into the 

 raising of seedlings by the thousands, 

 he would undoubtedly get a good divi- 

 dend on his outlay. These, like other 

 seedlings, would need practically no 

 resting. They would not improbably 

 produce two crops of flowers annually 

 and would possess far greater vigor 

 than the collected stock, but cattleya 

 seedlings take an average of five to 

 six years to flower. Of course, some 

 bloom earlier, but only a minority, and 

 it seems a long time to wait for re- 

 turns. 



For exhibition purposes it is nice to 

 have plants of good size, but for com- 

 mercial purposes it is better to grow 

 plants in 5-inch or 6-inch pots, with 

 two or three leads, than in those of 

 larger size. 



CATTLEYA LABLA.TA. 



Cattleya labiata is invaluable in the 

 fall, and what a gap there would be 



COLD STORAGE aiOANTEXTMS. 



I should like to know of the best and 

 most successful way of treating cold 

 storage giganteum bulbs. Should they 

 be potted and put in a cellar in the 

 dark for a root growth, as are other 

 bulbs f How long a period must elapse 

 from potting time until they bloom f 

 What temperature is required for themf 



M. E. H.— Tenn. 



It takes from ten to sixteen weeks 

 to flower the cold storage giganteum 

 lilies, according to the season. They 

 like a good heat all the time, not less 

 than 60 degrees at night. While they 

 can be stood below benches or in a 

 cellar to start, this is not necessary and 

 they will start just as well on a green- 

 house bench. These cold storage bulbs 

 start to grow quickly compared with 

 fresh stock. C. W. 



DAMPING OF CARNATION BUDS. 



We are sending you some samples of 

 diseased carnations. Please tell us what 

 is the matter and what to do for it. 



J. H. C— Mich. 



The damping of your carnation buds 

 was most likely caused by the unusually 

 wet weather experienced this summer 

 and fall. Perhaps, also, you have 

 sprayed overhead more than was neces- 

 sary. There might also be present some 

 of the carnation mite, which you will 

 be able to exterminate by the use of 

 nicotine, used as directed on the con- 

 tainers. I would suggest, further, that 

 you paint a steam pipe in each house 

 with lime and sulphur mixed with 



water. Give all the ventilation possible 

 and the trouble should disappear in due 

 time. A. F. J. B. 



IMPERFECT BUDS AND FOLIAGE. 



I am sending you some of my carna- 

 tions for examination. The buds seem 

 to be empty, although the stems con- 

 tinue growing and look healthy. Some 

 time ago I noticed that the leaves of 

 the new growth seemed to stick to- 

 gether and did not unfold properly. I 

 sprayed with nicotine and have nearly 

 overcome that trouble, but some of the 

 foliage is light-colored and spotted. 



A. E. P.:-.Pa. 



I can see nothing seriously 'ifrong[ 



