The Weekly Florists' Review 



Ju.NE 10, 1909. 



CATTLEYA CULTURE. 



Commonest Varieties. 



Till- iiiiif Iip n\ CI li.-iiil I'lill l('y;i> is ;is 

 soull nt'tiT till' lliiwcis .TIT ml lis jidssilili-. 

 May jiikI .liinc ;^i\c i(iiiic .-i wealth of 



r;i1 t ll'\ .-I lillMllll. \Iiiv| rdlllllloll lif nil is 



' '. Mnssia', |ii'i-jia|is ilir iikki easily liihwh 

 ami JiT('--i li|(riiii;ii|M ,,| ill,, wliiij,. M,.|||is. 

 ()llicis ate • '. Mciiilcllii, ( '. Skiimcri, ( '. 

 (iaskrlii;iii;i nnd ( '. yi^as. Tlic l;ist nainol 

 usually lildiuns a litllr later than tlii> 

 other sorts uaincil. It is the laieest aihi 

 most showy of all i-atthyns, c-ifryiiiy- 

 quite coiiniKiuly lonr nr (i\e ut' its iiii 

 inoiiso hliiiiins pef sheath. nni| (ircasidn 

 ally six to cioht. .\s mniiy n- nine ami 



ton lia\C lii'ell jifniluceil mi mil' nr \\\n 



occasions. ( '. ^i^ns. while lii;^ nml shuwy, 

 lacks tiie sul)sl!iiice oi' otliec Nariotics aiui 

 the flowers ai-c easily scoichcil, liuniiuj^ 

 llirou<;li CNcn a shailiiit; of whitewash it' 

 stood too near llie ;:las.s. Tt sliould. 

 tlieret'ore. tie i^i\eii ;i shailier sjiot when 

 e.xpandinor nnil in liill llowcr. Similar 

 treatment sliouhl he liiven ('. Ilardyana, 

 the Ijeautifiil natural hylirid lietween C. 

 gigas and C. aurea. 



Freshly Imported Plants. 



'Die jiriecs at whii'li all cattleyas are 

 now being oll'ered shmild tempt many to 

 try a case or twi>. As a rule, the first 

 crop of flowers will niort' than pay for 

 the plants, while the possiliility of get 

 ting one or two extra good forms will 

 add zest to the plea.sure uf haiulling them. 

 When received, the lases shoidd be un- 

 packed and tne phuits well cleaned, later 

 laying them on a vacant bench, or, better 

 still, hanging them under one until they 

 start to emit loots. For potting com- 

 post, osmunda fern fiber cannot be 

 beaten. Drain the pots well. Keep the 



plants well in the centers nt' the |intS 



and be sure to pot firmly, h will imt do 

 to trust to the (ingcrs to do this filming. 

 Use a jxiinted stick of hard wood. Nd 

 orchid, m. for that matter, any other 

 plant, will thrive if loo.sely potted. If 

 the i^rowth'- are illelined to be x|ii;i\\|\, 



use one or two short stakes ami tie in 

 the o\erhaiigiiig bulbs to them. 



.-\s a generiil thing pot> ;iiid paii'- ;iie 

 better than b.askt^ts tor cat t li y.-i-. .-iv they 

 hold the loots bettei. lull line v|,ei-i mens 

 can be L;io\\n in any ot' tlte^e i e,-ept nide-^. 

 Miiny expeii ^i.iweis think the plants are 

 better nnder cmitiol in pot- or pans. 



To lho~e who haxe a te;ii tlmi mrliids 

 are iiaid Mibjects l,i t;i.-kle. it may be 

 said that any person who (•;iij ^mw ;^ihmI 

 rose-, i/at iiat ions, miipi- m pot plants ot' 

 any kind, can readily ha in to grow or 

 chids. It is not necessary to ;;o to esttili 

 lishinent.s with sjiecial !imi-es and export 

 growers to sec S])lenilidly liiowii plants. 

 For cattleyas the end of a rose house. 

 where some shade can be oi\eii. is ideal. 

 The ])lants. if on the iieiidi. shcnild be 



raised n lil t le I o allow I he air to ci rcii 

 late freely alimit them. The roof can be 

 iitili/ed to excellent ;id\;intage. If every 

 cattleya could be L;rowii within two feel 

 ot' the "lass, they should give a t'.ar 

 heavier ciop of llower- than are usually 

 seen. 



Xewly impoited plaiit,-^ want liltli 

 water until llie\ start to yrow. .V liylit. 

 occtisiomal spiayiiie i>< ninple. (Iradnally 

 increase the supply as eviiwtlis proi^ress. 

 bat it is always safer to nmleiwater. 

 rat her t lia n 1 o o\ erw at er. 



Varieties for a Start. 



J'"or those wishful of embarkiiiL: in 

 oi'cliid culture on a small scale the |o| 

 lowing cattleyas can be lecmninemleil : 

 < '. labitita. blomning in ()ctolier and .\o 

 \embei; ( '. Triaiia'. the iiio-^t useful ot' all 

 cattleyas. tloweriiig t'rmii .laniiary to 

 March; ( '. I'erci valiaiia. snuill but free 

 lilooining, usiijilly iir-t pi ecedi 1114 ( '. Tri 

 ame; ( '. Schroedei ;e. .March .■|iid .\|iril: 

 ( '. Mossiii' and ' '. .Memlellii. .May and 

 .luiie; ('.. gigas. .Iiiiie and .Inly. If I'e 

 siricted to three .-.oits, ^row < '. labiata. 

 ( '. Tritnae and ' '. Mossin'. 



iV'ow that the weather has become uv 

 summer like, a syringing overhead eai 

 in tlu' tifternoons of clear, hot days v. 

 be found beneficial. The plants shoi 

 tihvays have the folitige dry before nigi 

 fall. Coddling is not to be rocommeud' 

 There will be few nights between n 

 and the end of September when so 

 ventilation cannot be left on. 



To those meditating :i modest start 

 cattleya culture, experienced groW' 

 sometimes say, do not buy establish, 

 [ilants. All good tyjies an' marked i 

 the growers and higher ])rices will 

 asked for these. tiet newly import' 

 -tork and the \;niety of types will plea 

 you. I\ee|> your ])lant- \vell up to t' 

 liglil. Water s|iariiigly until well esta 

 li-hed. K.M'ii wlieii esttiblislied. cattle\ , 

 do Hot need oxer twii or three waterin, 

 a week, and halt' tlitit suliices in wiut' 

 .\ir freely on exei-y possible occasion. ]■ 

 not use niiy stimulants. Tliese rarely ! 

 miod and ;ire likel.\- to caus(> iii.iury. 

 wintei 111 illinium of ."-"i to (1(1 degree- 

 ample. In summer b' degrees more wi 

 be tlbolif right. altllo|iL;li oil hot ni;^l'' 

 the thermometer will be liiyher than tlr- 

 bnt if you :iir freely the jdaut-; will im ■ 

 iiiind the extra w:irmtli. 



CALANTHES. 



• nlanthes are .•inioii;^ :!ie inu-l beaat 

 Till of w inter lilomniii;^ orchids. T' • 

 -pikes produced at midwinter lia\e a hi,; 

 coiiiiiierci.a 1 Millie in the iiii^ tlower ma 

 ki'ts. .and it is :i little -iir|irisiiig tin' 

 mole ot' them are not :^iowii. <'alaiit!. 



\'eitcllii i- the most oelierally ll-^et'ul '' 



the t;(miis. prodiiciiiL; s|iikes two to foi, 

 I'ei't ill length. There ,',re a number ■ ' 

 other line h.xbriib rai-'d i>y the late N": 

 man ( '. ('ooksmi. \\liicli .-ire likelv to '. 



Freshly Imported Cattleyas. 



