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12 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



Febbcabt 1, 1012. 



SEASONABU: NOTES. 



Cattleya Trianae. 



Cattleya Trianae, being now in good 

 crop, wants the cooler end of the house 

 ■^hile open. It requires or prefers a 

 little more warmth than C. labiata while 

 growing, though both do well together. 

 All cattleyas must be watered spar- 

 ingly at this season, but when water- 

 ing is done, soak them well and do 

 not merely dribble a little on the sur- 

 face. The buds will soon show in the 

 sheaths of C. Schroederse. Keep these 

 at the warm end of the house. No 

 shade, except for plants in flower, and 

 some air every day, should be the 

 motto for cattleyas. 



Odontoglossums like a sunny house 

 in winter. They want no shade before 

 the middle or end of March. Lean-to 

 north houses, often recommended, are 

 useful for summer, but valueless in 

 winter, when the plants want sun. Be 

 it remembered that the growth is 

 mainly made in the cold months, and 

 if it is made in a sunless structure the 

 plants will not stand the summer heat 

 nearly so well as those which have had 

 the foliage bronzed and toughened by 

 the winter sun. Wrap a little cotton- 

 wool at the base of all spikes as they 

 appear, as a protection against snails, 

 especially where sphagnum moss is 

 used. 



Miltoniafl. 



Miltonias like a little more warmth 

 than odontoglossums. If in the same 

 house, give them the warmer end; 52 

 to 55 degrees at night should not be 

 exceeded. They do well at the cool end 

 of a cattleya. house. Water carefully. 

 Examine new growths; sometimes the 

 sides of the leaves in new growths get 

 caught and want releasing with a 

 knife. Give full sun, and if the day 

 is warm and bright a light spraying 

 will do them good, being sure, however, 

 that they are dry before night. 



Sophronitis Orandiflora. 



The brilliant little orchid, Sophron- 

 itis grandiflora, which has proved of so 

 much value in hybridizing, is still in 

 flower, the flowers being carried on the 

 new growths. It grows well in small, 

 shallow pans in a cool house and lasts 

 A long time in bloom. 



Oalanthes. 



As the calanthes pass out of flower, 

 store the pots or pans away on a shelf 

 in m temperature of 55 to 60 degrees, 

 anH kMp them perfectly dry at the 

 rooli vlitil they show signs of activity 

 «t their bMe. Then shake out and start 

 in ft ImMc heat in flats of sand. 



Dendrobiums. 



Dendrobiums of the nobile type will 

 mostly now be showing nodes and some 

 are already flowering. While in flower 

 they like shade and a temperature not 

 below 50 degrees. If moved at once 

 from a temperature of 65 degrees to 

 one of 50 degrees, they will wilt badly; 

 let the change be gradual. D. Fhalae- 

 nopsis Schroederianum and D. formo- 

 sum giganteum^ now done flowering, 

 are benefited by a season of rest in a 

 rather cooler house, after a few weeks 

 of which any repotting or rebasketing 

 is in order. D. nobile and its many hy- 

 brids are easily propagated from ma- 

 ture bulbs which have flowered. These, 

 if cut off, laid on flats containing some 

 sand and sphagnum and occasionally 

 sprinkled, will soon develop numerous 

 growths in a warm, moist house, which 

 can later be placed several together in 

 spiall pans or baskets. 



Cypripediums. 



The cypripediums are now in their full 

 glory, and what a superb show a collec- 

 tion makes! They are fully as useful as 

 cattleyas, besides being far more dur- 

 able and of easier culture. These, be- 

 ing terrestrial orchids, have no real 

 period of rest, and a severe drying will 

 cause loss of foliage. Keep a decidedly 

 moister atmosphere for these than for 



cattleyas and the atmosphere can be 

 closer and warmer. The bulk of these 

 succeed well in a mixture of flbrous 

 loam and fern fiber. As the insigne 

 section passes out of flower, any need- 

 ing repotting can be shaken to pieces. 

 The plants will not flower much the 

 first year after repotting. 



Iiycaste Skinneri. 



The grand old orchid, Lycaste Skin- 

 neri, does well at the cold end of a 

 •cattleya house. The growths are now 

 made up and numerous flower spikes 

 are starting to open. There are few 

 orchids more attractive than L. Skin- 

 neri when well flowered and the blooms 

 keep in good condition for eight to 

 ten weeks. There is a pure white form 

 which is particularly beautiful. This 

 orchid should now be kept tolerably 

 dry. It grows well in pots in a mixture 

 of fern fiber and fibrous loam, surfaced 

 with fresh sphagnum. 



THE CBOSS OF ORCHIDS. 



Last week Chicago retail florists, or 

 at least those who conduct the leading 

 stores, had about as heavy a run of 

 funeral work as ever has been expe- 

 rienced in one day. A midnight colli- 

 sion cost the lives of four high-up rail- 

 road officials, whose funerals all were 

 held January 25, either in Chicago or 

 in its suburbs. The prominence of the 

 men and the nature of their deaths re- 

 sulted in a call for funeral work which 

 has not been equaled in recent expe- 

 rience, if ever. Not only were the de- 

 signs of unusual number, but for size 

 and cost many were notable. Probably 

 the largest and most expensive of the 

 lot is shown on page 13. It was a 

 cross of orchids and valley, made by 

 the Fleischman Floral Co. for the Illi- 

 nois Central railroad and sent to the 

 funeral of J. T. Harahan, ex-president 

 of the Illinois Central. The design stood 

 over six feet high, and Cattleya Trianse 

 and valley were the only flowers used. 

 It is reported that the Fleischman 

 Floral Co. received $500 for the design. 



BLOOMS DO NOT OPEN. 



Will some one tell me how I can get 

 my carnations to give me some flowers! 

 They have lots of buds, but it takes 

 them too long to open. I have 160 

 plants and I can not get a dozen blooms 

 from them in a week. The soil is com- 

 posed as follows: First, a layer of 

 manure on the bottom, so the soil would 

 not go through the cracks; then leaf- 

 mold; then good soil; then a little 

 manure, well rotted; then soil, and, 

 last, a little manure again, but re- 

 member, this is done in layers, not 

 mixed up. I have three varieties. The 

 light pink ones have not given me a 

 half doien blooms so far. The Rose- 

 pink and White Enchantress have been 

 a little better, but not as they should 

 be. There are no bugs that I can see. 



Is there anything that I can feed 



them with to make them bloom? Please 

 tell me, if my soil is not right, how 

 to fix it for next year. What kind 

 of fertilizer is the best to get for 

 greenhouse work, for carnations, gera- 

 niums, bedding plants, cabbage and to- 

 mato plants, to hustle them along in 

 the spring! I have been looking around 

 among some of the big greenhouses and 

 examining their stock; mine does not 

 look as theirs does. I am new in this 

 line, though I have tried it for two 

 years. My house is 15 x 40 and is 

 heated with hot water. F. W. G. 



If your plants look thrifty and, as 

 you say, carry lots of buds, there may 

 not be anything seriously wrong with 

 them, except that the crop is late in 

 coming in. You may have planted 

 them late to begin with, or the plants 

 may have been slow in getting into 

 active growth, for some reason which 



