18 



The Florists^ Review 



A00O8T 6, 1914. 



SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS. 



Ooelogyne Cristata. 



The growths on Coelogyne cristata are 

 now well advanced and the new bulbs 

 are showing at the base. Plants that 

 are well established will be greatly 

 benefited by weak applications of cow 

 manure water once a week. Spray the 

 plants each afternoon and be sure not 

 to make the shade over them too heavy. 

 As fine plants as I ever saw were 

 grown in coldframes with movable lath 

 shades, . the sashes being removed on 

 dull days and at night. 



Cattleya Lahiata. 



The bulbs on some plants of C. 

 labiata now have the sheaths well de- 

 veloped and probably occasional flow- 

 ers can be had in late August or early 

 September. Do not shade the plants 

 heavily. Give the plants a good light; 

 never mind if the foliage is not a dark 

 green, for you will ^ways find the 

 paler ones flower the best. 



Cattleya Dowiana. 



The yellow cattleyas are not so much 

 grown commercially as other varieties. 

 They are beautiful, but not so easy of 

 culture as many others. They like more 

 heat, and unless they are grown in close 

 proximity to the glass will not flower 

 satisfactorily. The plants never have 

 the healthy green look of other cat- 

 tleyas, but plants of a real golden hue 

 will flower finely if given sufficient heat 

 and not shaded too heavily. 



Cattleya Seedlings. 



Cattleya seedlings are now making 

 wonderful headway, and, in order that 

 the pots containing them may not be al- 

 lowed to become too root-bound, shifts 

 are necessary all through the summer 

 season. Never mind if the little plants 

 are in active growth; they will not 

 mind any potting done carefully. In 

 this connection be it remembered that 

 most of these hybrids make two leads 

 a year and should never be really 

 rested. Chop the fern fiber and fresh 

 sphagnum quite fine for small seedlings, 

 and until they are of a moderate size 

 a considerable number can be grown 

 together in each pot. These seedlings 

 enjoy a warmer and closer house than 

 plants of flowering size. 



Phaius. 



In common with calanthes, phaius are 

 now in active growth. Like calanthes, 

 they succeed better in fibrous loam and 

 cow manure than in fern fiber. They 

 also appreciate occasional weak doses 



of cow manure. The cattleya house is 

 sufficiently warm for phaius. 



Dendrobiiun Nobile. 



Den^robium nobile is now in active 

 growth. The ideal house for it, at this 

 season, is a small one which can be 

 closed early after spraying the plants 

 and saturating the floors. A crack of 

 air, however, can be given in the even- 

 ing, especially as the growths become 

 quite large. Dendrobes revel in a brisk, 

 moist heat while growing, and, like 

 calanthes, are really benefited by a lit- 

 tle fire heat on cool nights, even in 

 July and August. 



Dendrobium Waxdianum. 



Dendrobium Wardianum completes 

 its pseudo-bulbs earlier than nobile and 

 its hybrids. Do not keep it too long in 

 strong heat; move it to a cooler and 

 airier house, where the growths can 

 gradually be ripened up. If kept hot 

 and moist too long there is danger of 

 second growths starting up, which are 

 not wanted. 



Oncidlum Varlcosum Bogersii. 



Oncidium varicosum Bogersii is easily 

 the most useful and showy of all the 

 commercial oncidiums. Its long sprays 



are indispensable in groups at the fall 

 exhibitions, and it is an orchid we 

 could ill spare. Spikes are now push- 

 ing up on many bulbs. Snails are fond 

 of them, and it is wise to wrap a piece 

 of cotton-wool at the base of each as a 

 protection against these marauders. 

 This oncidium does not need a warm 

 house; the cooler end of a cattleya 

 house answers admirably for it. 



Odontoglossum Crispum. 



Summer is u hard time for Odonto- 

 glossum crispum. All we can do is to 

 keep the house coiitaining them as cool 

 as possible and leave abundant ventila- 

 tion on at night. Spray the plants 

 once a day, but in extremely hot 

 weather it is better to keep tnem a lit- 

 tle on the dry side. The flowering sea- 

 son is practically over, but carefully 

 protect any flower spikes with cotton- 

 wool, or shell snails will soon destroy 

 them. 



Vanda Coerulea. 



Some spikes should now be showing 

 on Vanda coerulea, one of the most ex- 

 quisite orchids of a blue shade. Give 

 the plants a good light and, if the moss 

 on the surface of the pots is not fresh, 

 give a top-dressing of live sphagnum. 

 This not only improves the looks of the 

 plants, but they seem to grow better 

 after being so treated. 



Vanda Teres. 



How to make Vanda teres flower sat- 

 isfactorily has puzzled the brain of 

 many a good grower. Anyone can grow 

 it luxuriantly, but few get more than 

 an occasional spike from it. This is 

 a sun-loving orchid, and no one will 

 ever succeed in flowering it well unless 

 it is given almost full sunshine through 

 the summer. Any shade must be quite 

 light or it will be harmful. 



SWEET PEAS FAIL TO OPEN. 



"What is the cause of outdoor sweet 

 peas not opening after the buds become 

 fully developed! The vines average five 

 feet in height and are planted in rows 

 three feet apart. They seem to be 

 healthy, having no blight, and they are 

 free from insects. They have been well 

 watered and have about two inches of 

 mulch between the rows. The stems are 

 good and the buds develop, but fail to 

 open. Any information will be greatly 

 appreciated. L. G. 



and well watered and mulched, they will 

 soon improve when you get clearer skies 

 and more satisfactory growing condi- 

 tions. C. W. 



ORIGIN OF WINTEB SWEET PEA. 



This is by no means an unusual con- 

 dition with outdoor sweet peas. Unfa- 

 vorable weather is the real cause of it. 

 A spell of dark, damp weather closely 

 following clear, warm conditions will 

 often cause many flowers not to open. 

 Tf your plants are clean and healthy, 



As Told by A. C. Zyolanek. 



The following account of the rapid 

 development of the sweet pea, from its 

 original outdoor form to its latest com- 

 mercial type, known as the winter 

 orchid-flowering, is reprinted from the 

 booklet on ' ' Commercial Sweet Pea Cul 

 ture, ' ' recently published by A. C. Zvo 

 lanek. There are many readers who will 

 not be willing to accord to Mr. Zvolanek 

 all the credit that he claims in this con- 

 nection, but even those who most em 

 {•hatically disagree with him cannot fail 



