.Use 8, 1!»1]. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



SEASONABLE NOTES. 



Cattleyps. 



Jniio is ii inoiitli wlicii oicliid Mowers 

 usually are fairly aiiuudaiit. iiiiicli inoic 

 so than in April, ami this year sonic of 

 the l)i^- city niarUots have liccn ovcr- 

 stookcil with cattleyas for sonic wccUs. 

 Tho ilcniand iji the hot months is not 

 by any means ecjuai to that in tiie cooler 

 months, wluMi laliiatas and Trianu's aic 

 in season, l)ut there is now more or less 

 demand for orchids the yt>ar around, 

 especially in the larger cities, and \\\i'. 

 grower who would cater to the puldic 

 taste shoiild lie jirepared to sii|)|dy at 

 least a few of th(> summer \arieties. 



('. ^lossia' is now on the wane. It is 

 by far the freest Howcrinji of the early 

 summer cattleyas. .\ny rejiottinn- should 

 be done uow and care siiould be taUen 

 to water more sparingly until new roots 

 are being freely produced. The tenijita- 

 tion to water in liot weather is irresist- 

 ibl(^ for those wliose e.vperience in or- 

 chid culture is limited, and it is hard 

 to convince even those who are good 

 growers of other varieties of jdants 

 that even in the liottest weather newly 

 potted stock must be watered with ex- 

 treme caution. Especially is this nec- 

 essary where the houses are quite heav 

 ily shaded. Use the hose, however, free- 

 ly among the pots on bright days; on 

 cloudy days little damping down is 

 necessary. Some top ventilation should 

 be left on the houses both night and 

 day now. Cattleyas dislike a close, 

 stuffy atmosphere. It weakens them, 

 and if there is much humidity in the 

 atmosphere it causes roots to ])ush out 

 side the pots and baskets, rather than 

 in the compost, and cattleyas with a 



wealth of ai'rial roots may interest iio\ - 

 ices, but no good grower wants to see 

 them, as tlu> tlov.ers from such phiiits 

 are of poor (puility. 



We get hot. bright <lays in summer, 

 when a good. hea\\- siiade on the glass 

 seems welcome. There are spells, how- 

 ever, of daik, gloomy weather when we 

 wish th<' glass was (dear. Those who 

 can afford it and use idoth blinds on 

 1 oilers, or lath shades, have a great 

 advantage, as tlu'v can give a ma.xinium 

 of light when it is most lu'eded. 'Phe 

 lath shades are mucdi used in Knrope 

 and are coming into use here. Their 

 initial cost, however, jirevents their ex 

 tended use. Hea\'v shade gi\es us 

 green bulbed, green -foliaged cattleyas. 

 do not flower so well 

 ill stronger light, 

 labiata and < '. Sidiro' 

 be making roots (juite 

 water supply for them 

 should be increased gradually, (iive all 

 of them the lightest ])ossible location. 

 These and, in fact, all cattleyas and 

 ladias enjoy a syringing overhead aboiit 

 the middle of the afternoon on hot days 



The cattleya Hy has been previously 

 referred to in these columns. It is the 

 worst foe orchid cultivators have to 

 fight. It seems wicked to cut away 

 handfuls of fine growths as they are just 

 starting, but it is the only true remedy. 

 Watch for the swollen growths and cut 

 off and destroy them before the tlies can 

 hatch out and escape, or the damage 

 will be greatly extended. ('. labiata is 

 headquarters for cattleya fly, but any 

 of the short-bulbed section, as well as 

 some belias and e|>idendrums, are also 

 attacked. Long-bulbed cattleyas, siudi 

 as ITarrisonia-, Howriiigeana, etc., are 



These, li(jwe\ cr, 

 as tlu)se grown 

 ('. Triaiue, C 

 dera' will now 

 freidv and the 



li'ss attacked. Persistent fumigation 

 with a powerful nicotine extract will 

 ac((uiiit for some Hies, but cutting off' 

 the yoiiiiy growths is the best remedv 

 iiiiirdeidiis ;is if may appear. 



Cyprlpediums. 



\\ itii a I'.'w exceptions, c_\- jiripediuiiis 

 eiiJo\ a moister. warmer ;ind shadier 

 house than cattleyas. They also do well 

 III small, stuffy structures, while cat 

 tieyas enjoy larger, airier ones. Thrips, 

 if it gets a foothold now, will rapi<ll\ 

 disfigure the foliage on many varieties. 

 S\ringing, sponging and dipping in to- 

 bacco water are necessary to keep it 

 away, or to fight it should it apjiear. 

 IMaiits of the insigne section do |)ar- 

 ticularly w(dl in cooler (piarters than 

 many other \arieti(>s. .\ brick frame, 

 where they can be (de\ateil on ,•( stage 

 o\er a good bed of ,.oal ashes, is an 

 ideal location. Here the,\- can be freely 

 syringed and given all necessarv ven- 

 tilation. Keep them close to tlu' light. 

 Ill the case of plants having the pots 

 lull of roots, supply weak cow manure 

 water once a week. (Jreen leaved <v|iri- 

 luMliiinis, such as insigne, Sallieri, villo 

 sum. ('harlesworthii, etc., grow best in 

 goixl fibrous loam, while the variegated 

 leaved sorts rather like a fair ainount 

 of osmunda liber mixeil with the loam. 

 l'iilik(> the cattleyas. the lady's slippers 

 want a fair supply of wa't(>r at the 

 loots, even in the socalled resting 

 period. 



Odontoglossums. 



The repotting of odontoglossums 

 should now be comjileted. Filling the 

 pots oue-tliird full of crocks and using 

 rather soft osmunda fiber, with a little 

 choi)]ied, fresh sphagnum, gives an ideal 

 compost. It is also best to round the 

 compost above the rims of the pots. Low 

 potting is not to be recommended for 

 orchids, ft is well to have the bulbs 

 le\(d with or just (dear of the tops ol 

 the jtots. Odontoglossums should now 

 oe in their summer quarters. A north 

 house with blinds, a span lath house 

 without glass, a sunken jut — any place, 

 in fact, where as low a temperature as 

 possible is obtainable, with the neces- 

 sary light — will answer. Some day arti- 

 ficial refrigeration may make it' possi- 

 ble to grow these most beautiful of all 

 orchids as we see them in Europe. 



An Exceptionally Fine Plant of Cattleya Labiata, That Best of Florists' Orchids. 



