JULY 14, 1910. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



9 



FLOWERING TIME OF CATTLEYA. 



When is the blooming season for Cat- 

 tleva Trianse? W. B. 



Cattleya Triante flowers from Janu- 

 ary until the end of March, occasionally 

 as early as Christmas and as late as the 

 middle of April. On newly imported 

 plants a crop is often to be had in June 

 and July and a number of these are 

 now in flower. C. W. 



THE CATTLEYA FLY. 



Can you supply me* with the exact 

 life history of the cattleya fly and state 

 the best means of destroying it? 



H. B. A. 



The cattleya fly, Isosoma orehidearum, 

 lays its eggs in the eyes of the young 

 growths of cattleyas, Iselias and some 

 epidcndrums, as well as the bigeneric 

 hybrids between these genera, when the 

 plants are dormant, causing the growths 

 to become stunted and much swollen. 

 Such growths, when cut open, will be 

 found to contain four to seven yellow- 

 ish maggots. These, if left, soon eat 

 out a considerable cavity, turn into 

 pupae and later into perfect flies, which 

 emerge and continue the work of de- 

 struction. Some growers, not knowing 

 the pest, flatter themselves on the fat, 

 chunky growths their plants are mak- 

 ing, discovering too late the terrible 

 pest they have failed to destroy. Some- 

 times, if there has been delay in cutting 

 out the growths, the perfect flies them- 

 selves will be discovered. 



The best, but at the same time most 

 radical, remedy is to cut out the young 

 growths directly after they appear 

 swollen, and burn them. It seems cruel 

 to go over a batch of plants and cut 

 off quarts daily in this way, but if it is 

 not done the plants might as well be 

 destroyed. Early spring is the time 

 when the pest is mostly in evidence 

 and, in order to destroy any flies on the 

 wing, fumigation with Nicoticide or 

 some other strong nicotine extract twice 

 a week should be resorted to. Sticky 

 fly papers, stood here and there, will 

 catch some. Hypodermic injections 

 have been tried, but availed little. 

 Roots, in addition to growths, are oc- 

 casionally attacked, a warty growth re- 

 sulting. 



C. labiata is the variety this fly 

 usually comes on and a close inspection 

 should be made of all new stock. All 

 the labiata section, however, are liable 

 to be attacked. Long bulbed varieties, 

 f'uch as Harrisoniae, Bowringeana and 

 intermedia, and such lajlias as elegans, 

 purpurata, anceps and autumnalis I 

 have had no fly on, although they are 

 sometimes attacked. 



In fumigating I would not advise the 

 use of hydrocyanic acid gas on cat- 



tleyas or any other orchids, as it will 

 cause far more damage than the insects 

 themselves. I have in mind one or two 

 fine lots of cattleyas almost entirely 

 ruined by it, though a moderate dose 

 only was given, which would not have 

 injured roses, carnations, violets or 

 sweet peas. W. N. C. 



OEBMINATION OF COCOS SEED. 



Will you kindly inform me how to 

 germinate successfully seeds of Cocos 

 plumosa and other species having seeds 

 of a like nature? I have had a quantity 

 of them planted for nearly a year in 

 flats three inches deep and covered with 

 glasd. I have kept them in a warm, 

 sunny greenhouse, but so far none of 

 them have shown any symptoms of 

 germinating. C. L. W. 



It is not unusual for Cocos plumosa 

 seeds to occupy several months in 

 germinating, but it would be impossible 

 to say positively, without an examina- 

 tion, whether the seeds in question are 

 still good. 



In brief, the best method to use with 

 these seeds is the same as is used for 

 palm seeds in general; namely, to plant 

 them in ordinary potting soil, in either 

 flats, pans or the open bench, using a 

 depth of three to four inches of soil and 

 covering the seeds to a depth of from 

 half an inch to one inch, according to 

 the size of the seeds. Then place in a 

 warm greenhouse, though not exposed to 



the full sun, and keep the soil moist but 

 not sodden. A night temperature of 65 

 to 70 degrees should be maintained for 

 the germination of these seeds. 



W. H. T. 



PHLOX TURNINQ YELLOW. 



Will you tell me why hardy phlox 

 turn yellow and then seem to rot off at 

 the roots? They were planted outdoors 

 and have received the same treatment 

 as other bedding plants, but I have lost 

 half the row from this rot. A. F. C. 



Attacks of red spider often cause 

 phlox to turn yellow. This is a hard 

 pest to fight. Force of water, well di- 

 rected through an upright spray noz- 

 zle, which can be held below the foliage, 

 is about the only remedy. It is possible 

 this may not be the trouble, however, 

 with your plants. Too deep planting 

 will cause the stems to rot off, while 

 planting in soil containing too much 

 nitrogenous manure will also cause them 

 to die. Sometimes borers get into the 

 stems. They are hard to locate, and if 

 present the best plan is to cut off and 

 burn the stems. Larvae at the roots, 

 especially those of the May beetle, are 

 occasionally responsible for this yellow- 

 ing of the shoots. C. W. 



FORMULA FOR PUTTY. 



A subscriber asks, on page 9 of the 

 July 7 issue of The Review, how to 

 make liquid putty. I make my own, of 

 whiting, linseed oil and Japan drier, 

 and find it equal to the "ready-for- 

 use" kinds, and the cost is less. 



Sift best whiting (thoroughly dried) 

 into the oil through a household flour 

 sifter, or other sieve, and stir until 

 stiff enough to stay on the bars without 

 running. The amount of each depends 

 on the temperature; better make it a 

 little too stiff, for the Japan drier will 

 thin it some. This makes a skin on the 

 surface and should be added when the 

 putty is to be used — quantity about one 

 teaspoonful to each pint, or perhaps 

 less, according to the quality of the 

 drier and conditions of the weather; 

 stir at once and use soon. W. E. P. 



GERANIUM FOLIAGE DYING. 



I am sending under separate cover 

 two geranium leaves for your inspec- 

 tion. The plants from which these were 

 taken have been on a shelf near the 

 top of a back wall of a lean to house 

 and until a few days ago seemed per- 

 fectly healthy. Now I notice a great 

 many of the leaves turning like the 

 samples sent. I have had carnations 

 on a lower bench and have been 

 troubled with red spider. I think this 

 is probably one reason for the leaves 

 dying, but should like to have your 

 opinion and advice ill the matter. 

 Kindly tell me the best thing to do for 

 them. I have picked off all the badly 

 affected leaves and removed the plants 



to a regular bench. The plants were 

 rather close together on the shelf. 

 Would that cause the trouble? 



F. W. D. 



The leaves forwarded showed unmis- 

 takable signs of red spider. They have 

 been growing in too hot and dry a po- 

 sition. You did right in removing them 

 to a bench. Pick off all badly affected 

 foliage. Spread the plants out well. 

 Use the hose freely among them and 

 they will soon improve. Unless you are 

 growing these plants for winter flower- 

 ing, it would be your best plan to plant 

 thorn outdoors, where they would make 

 decidedly better growth and more cut- 

 tings than if kept in pots. C. W. 



