The Weekly Florists' Review 



June 10, 1909. 



CATTLEYA CULTURE. 



Commonest Varieties. 



The jinie to overhaul cattleyas is as 

 soon afier the flowers are cut as possible. 

 May and June giVe quite a wealth of 

 cattleya bloom. Most common of all is 

 C. Mossise, perhaps the most easily grown 

 and freest blooming of the whole genus. 

 Others are C. Mendellii, C. Skinneri, C. 

 Gaskelliana and C. gigas. The last named 

 usually blooms a little later than the 

 other sorts named. It is the largest and 

 most showy of all cattleyas, carrying 

 quite commonly four or five of its im- 

 mense blooms per sheath, and occasion- 

 ally six to eight. As many as nine and 

 ten have been produced on one or two 

 occasions. C. gigas, while big and showy, 

 lacks the substance of other varieties and 

 the flowers are easily scorched, burning 

 through even a shading of whitewash if 

 stood too near the glass. It should, 

 therefore, be given a shadier spot when 

 expanding and in full flower. Similar 

 treatment should be given C. Hardyana, 

 the beautiful natural hybrid between C. 

 gigas and C. aurea. 



Freshly Imported Plants. 



The prices at which all cattleyas are 

 now being offered should tempt many to 

 try a case or two. As a rule, the first 

 crop of flowers will more than pay for 

 the plants, while the possibility of get- 

 ting one or two extra good forms will 

 add zest to the pleasure of handling them. 

 When received, the cases should be un- 

 packed and tne plants well cleaned, later 

 laying them on a vacant bench, or, better 

 still, hanging them under one until they 

 start to emit roots. For potting com- 

 post, osmunda fern fiber cannot be 

 beaten. Drain the pots well. Keep the 

 plants well in the centers of the pots 

 and be sure to pot firmly. It will not do 

 to trust to the fingers to do this firming. 

 Use a pointed stick of hard wood. No 

 orchid, or, for that matter, any other 

 plant, will thrive if loosely potted. If 

 the growths are inclined to be sprawly, 

 use one or two short stakes and tie in 

 the overhanging bulbs to them. 



As a general thing pots and pans are 

 better than baskets for cattleyas, as they 

 hold the roots better, but fine specimens 

 can be grown in any of these receptacles. 

 Many expert growers think the plants are 

 better under control in pots or pans. 



To those who have a fear that orchids 

 are hard subjects to tackle, it may be 

 said that any person who can grow good 

 roses, carnations, mums or pot plants of 

 any kind, can readily learn to grow or- 

 chids. It is not necessary to go to estab- 

 lishments with special houses and expert 

 growers to see splendidly grown plants. 

 For cattleyas the end of a rose house, 

 where some shade can be given, is ideal. 

 The plants, if on the bench, should be 



raised a little to allow the air to circu- 

 late freely about them. The roof can be 

 utilized to excellent advantage. If every 

 cattleya could be grown within two feet 

 of the glass, they should give a far 

 heavier crop of flowers than are usually 

 seen. 



Newly imported plants want little 

 water until they start to grow. A light, 

 occasional spraying is ample. Gradually 

 increase the supply as growths progress, 

 but it is always safer to underwater, 

 rather than to overwater. 



Varieties for a Start. 



For those wishful of embarking in 

 orchid culture on a small scale the fol- 

 lowing cattleyas can be recommended : 

 C. labiata, blooming in October and No- 

 vember; C. Trianffi, the most useful of all 

 cattleyas, flowering from January to 

 March; C. Percivaliana, small but free 

 blooming, usually just preceding C. Tri- 

 an£e ; C. Schroedera', March and April ; 

 C. Mossise and C. Mendellii, May and 

 June; C. gigas, June and July. If re- 

 stricted to three sorts, grow C labiata, 

 C. Trianse and C. MossiiE. 



Now that the weather has become more 

 summer-like, a syringing overhead early 

 in the afternoons of clear, hot days will 

 be found beneficial. The plants should 

 always have the foliage dry before night- 

 fall. Coddling is not to be recommended. 

 There will be few nights between now 

 and the end of September when some 

 ventilation cannot be left on. 



To those meditating a modest start iu 

 cattleya culture, experienced growers 

 sometimes say, do not buy established 

 plants. All good types are marked by 

 the growers and higher prices will be 

 asked for these. Get newly importtl 

 stock and the variety of types will please 

 you. Keep your plants well up to the 

 light. Water sparingly until well estab- 

 lished. Even when established, cattleyas 

 do not need over two or three waterings 

 a week, and half that suffices in winter. 

 Air freely on every possible occasion. Do 

 not use any stimulants. These rarely do 

 good and are likely to cause injury. A 

 winter minimum of 55 to 60 degrees is 

 ample. In summer 10 degrees more will 

 be about right, although on hot nights 

 the thermometer will be higher than this, 

 but if you air freely the plants will not 

 mind the extra warmth. 



CALANTHES. 



Calanthcs are among the most beauti- 

 ful of winter blooming orchids. The 

 spikes produced' at midwinter have a high 

 commercial value in the big flower mar 

 kets, and it is a little surprising that 

 more of them are not grown. Calanthe 

 Veitchii is the most generally useful of 

 the genus, producing spikes two to four 

 feet in length. There are a number of 

 other fine hybrids raised by the late Nor- 

 man C. Cookson, which are likely to be 



Freshly Imported Cattleyas. 



