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August 8, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



Cypripedium Insigne* 



too soft, uuder a heavy shade, where they 

 make beautiful dark bulbs and leaves at 

 the expense of flowers. The plants should 

 now have a light shade and be kept as 

 near the glass as possible. A light spray- 

 ing on hot afternoons will be beneficial. 

 Any potting or basketing needed by 

 plants of the summer blooming section, 

 such as Mendellii, Mossise, Gaskelliana 

 and gigas, should be attended to as the 

 plants go out of bloom. Remove as much 

 of the old compost as possible without 

 damaging the roots. Give ample drain- 

 age. Use chopped fern fiber, from which 

 the fine dust has been shaken out, to 

 which may be added some lumpy char- 

 coal and sphagnum moss. Press the com- 

 post firmly with a pointed stick of hard- 

 wood, leaving the surface somewhat 

 rounded. Keep the plants fairly dry un- 

 til roots are being freely made and the 

 bulbs are some inches in height. 



Cypripediums.'^IHBSZjS 



Cypripediums need a fair supply of 

 water the year around, but at this sea- 

 son, when they are making their most 

 rapid growth, they require a good soaking 

 once a day. Allow them to dry out tol- 

 erably if the weather is damp and dark. 

 A good syringing, using a fine sprayer 

 on the end of the hose, will keep down 

 spider and thrips, which sometimes badly 

 disfigure the foliage. C. insigne, the 

 most popular variety, will soon be show- 

 ing some flowers. Keep the plants cool 

 and airy, without too much shade. If 

 they are in a frame, throw off the sashes 

 altogether on cloudy days. The leaves 

 may turn a little paler under this treat- 

 ment, but the plants will flower better 

 for it and it is easy to put color into the 

 leaves when they are placed *in more 

 shade. Cypripediums, especially of the 

 insigne section, are benefited by doses of 

 liquid manure applied once a week when 

 the plants are well established in the 

 pots. 



Some people have the idea that orchids 

 are hard to grow. Some varieties may 

 be, but as a rule they are as easy of 

 culture as carnations, roses and violets. 

 A batch of C. insigne grown outdoors on 

 a bed of ashes under a north wall, were 

 roted last year and the florist who grew 

 them flowers them splendidly. They were 



big, stocky plants, with leathety leaves, 

 and evidently reveled in this outdoor 

 summer culture from June to September. 



Schizantfius. 



The schizanthus has come into consid- 

 erable favor of late years for pot cul- 

 ture, more especially since the dwarf 

 forms., like Wisetonensis, have been in- 

 troduced. It is not diflScult of culture, 

 its requirements being a cool, sunny and 

 airy house, plenty of water at all times, 

 pinching to keep the plants bushy and 

 feeding liberally at the roots as the 

 flowers start to expand. From seeds sown 

 now nice plants for the Christmas holi- 

 days can be hau. Sow half a dozen 

 seeds in small pots and place in a cold 

 frame. Thin out to three seedlings, shift 

 successively to 4-inch and frinch pots. 



The last named will grow nice, bushy 

 plants. Keep the plants as cool as pos- 

 sible, clear of actual freezing, and do not 

 on any account try forcing, for the ef- 

 fects will be ruinous. The variety Wise- 

 tonensis is the best for pot culture on 

 account of its dwarf, stocky habit. Some 

 large-flowered hybrids of it are especially 

 good. Successive sowings of schizanthus 

 may be made at intervals, to provide a 

 supply until May. The flowers are good 

 for design and bouquet work and last as 

 well as carnations in water. 



Attend the G>nvention. 



The time is close at hand when florists 

 from all over the country will be jour- 

 neying to the S. A. F. convention in the 

 (Quaker city. Everything points to this 

 being the banner meeting the society has 

 yet held. The program is an especially 

 attractive one and many points of vital 

 interest to florists will come up for dis- 

 cussion. The good work recently done in 

 compelling express companies to reduce 

 their rates on cut flowers is but one 

 example of the work being done for the 

 benefit of the craft. Brother craftsmen, 

 much more solid work lies ahead of us. 

 The S. A. F. leaders need your attend- 

 ance and if in your power, go to Phil- 

 adephia and you will be well repaid. The 

 meeting of craftsmen from all over our 

 broad land, the chance to view the nota- 

 ble nurseries, commercial florists' estab- 

 lishments and seed and supply houses, 

 to say nothing of the many attractions 

 of Philadelphia in other lines, should 

 prove an irresistible dravnng card. 



ilie florist needs a vacation if any 

 man does, and when can he better afford 

 to take it than during August t Plan, 

 therefore, to uelp make the Philadelphia 

 meeting the best ever by journeying 

 thither. You will not regret doing so, 

 but will receive new ideas which will 

 broaden you and make you wish you had 

 attended the conventions years ago. 



Brief Reminders. 



If you grow mushrooms under the 

 greenhouse benches, start at once to col- 

 lect the horse manure for the beds. Turn 





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House of Cypripedium Insigne. 



