Mauch 2(5, 1914. 



The Florists' Review 



23 



,.y^^v 



SEASONABLE SUaGESTIONS. 



Odontoglossum Crispum. 



Odontoglossum crispum, the most 

 beautiful of all cool orchids, and, in 

 the estimation of many, of all culti- 

 vated orchids, is, unfortunately, hard 

 to grow presentably in the United 

 States, owing to our hot summers. Even 

 along the eastern seaboard, however, 

 there is an increasing tendency to at- 

 tempt the culture of this orchid in es- 

 pecially constructed houses, while from 

 San Francisco northward along the Pa- 

 cific slope, conditions would seem to 

 be more favorable for its successful cul- 

 ture than in any other part of the 

 country. Since early in November our 

 plants have been in a sunny, span- 

 roofed house, without any shade, the 

 night temperature being 50 to 52 de- 

 grees. Some growers make the blunder 

 of keeping odontoglossums in a sun- 

 less, northern house all winter, in a 

 temperature of 45 degrees at night. 

 Such plants go to pieces rapidly when 

 our intense heat waves arrive, the 

 leaves simply falling off in showers. 

 On the other hand, plants kept in a 

 fairly warm, airy house in full sun all 

 winter are harder and better in every 

 way. Their leaves take on a reddish 

 hue, and the flower spikes come of a 

 stoutness unknown to plants cultivated 

 in a cold and sunless atmosphere. 



About March 15 a light shade will 

 be necessary, but we will keep the 

 plants in a full span house until the 

 end of April, after which time they 

 can go into a lean-to north house, 

 where a lower temperature is more eas- 

 ily maintained. Be sure to protect the 

 flower spikes with a piece of cotton- 

 wool. It is disheartening to find that 

 snails have destroyed them, which they 

 will surely do, especially if the mistake 

 is made of using a carpet of growing 

 sphagnum on the surface of the pots. 

 This moss looks nice, and plants with 

 healthy moss always seem to be in a 

 thrifty condition, but it harbors nu- 

 merous small shell snails which cut the 

 tender flower spikes just as soon as 

 they show, to say nothing of the roots. 

 For this reason it is a safe plan to use 

 fern fiber only when repotting. 



Calanthes. 



The bulbs of calanthes, which have 

 been resting for some time, are now 

 showing signs of growths at the bases 

 of last season 's bulbs and should be 

 shaken out of their pots or pans and 

 placed thickly in flats of coarse sand. 

 Some growers like to use some old cow 

 manure when starting, but I have al- 

 ways failed to see the necessity for 



this or the advantage of using it. Put 

 the bulbs, after being placed in their 

 flats, in a warm, moist house. Give a 

 good soaking of water; then spray oc- 

 casionally, but only lightly until the 

 roots and growths are being freely 

 made. The bulbs should be taken out 

 and repotted before the roots have 

 made much progress. Pots or deep 

 pans, sometimes called three-quarter 

 pots, are excellent to use. A 5-inch 

 size will do for one large bulb, and 

 three average flowering bulbs will go 

 in a 6-inch size. Calanthes, it is need- 

 less to say, want a warm, moist house, 

 and no one should attempt their cul- 

 ture who does not possess these condi- 

 tions. 



Phalsenopsis. 



Plialffnopsis is now making a beau- 

 tiful show. The glorious branched 

 spikes of P. Schilleriana, and the white 

 glistening spikes of P. grandiflora, ama- 

 bilis and Rimestadtiana almost take 

 one's breath away when they are seen 

 well grown. We in the east are yet 

 behind California in the culture of the 

 beautiful moth orchids, but I am glad 

 to see more attention being paid to 

 them. Phalajnopsis must have some 

 shade practically all the time, or the 

 handsome leaves become easily seorclicd. 

 They succeed well in deep baskets and 

 pans, the former being the best, and 

 great care is needed when rebasket- 

 ing is necessary, in order that the 

 roots may not be injured. Usually a 

 little fresh sphagnum and pieces of 

 fern root can be used as a surface 

 dressing in lieu of an entire overhaul- 

 ing. Sponge the foliage with tepid 



water. Carefully avoid any draughts, 

 as the plants detest air currents, and 

 let the night temperature be as near 

 65 degrees as possible. 



CATTLEYAS FLOWER FREELY. 



Cattleyas at the Dale Estate, Bramp- 

 ton, Ont., have been flowering with un- 

 usual freedom this winter. Over 15,000 

 blooms have been cut from November 

 1 to the present date. Spikes bearing 

 four and five flowers have been quite 

 common. The spikes shown in the illus- 

 tration, however, are extremely rare. 

 On this plant of Cattleya Trianse there 

 are eight blooms on one spike and six 

 blooms on each of the two other spikes, 

 a remarkable and unusual occurrence 

 for this variety. 



STOCKS FOR WINTER. 



When should stocks be sown, potted 

 and benched to produce winter flowers? 

 H. & C. 



For a winter crop of stocks, sow seed 

 early in August in a coldframe. Pot off 

 the plants as soon as they are ready, 

 and bench them before they become too 

 potbouud, which should be on or about 

 September 20. The benches should not 

 contain over four inches of soil. Good 

 varieties are White Column, Beauty of 

 Nice, Rose of Nice, Queen Alexandra 

 and Snowdrift. C. W. 



SPIR^AS DO NOT GROW. 



I am sending you a spira;a clump. 

 Will you please tell me what is wrongi 

 The clumps have been in pots since 

 December 12 and as yet have not made 

 any headway or any sign of growth. 

 F. S. 



Probably these spiraea clumps were 

 placed in heat before they had any real 

 rest. In such cases they always start 

 poorly, if at all. The specimen sent 

 appears to be fresh, and I would sug- 

 gest placing the clumps outdoors in 

 their pots for a few days and exposing 

 them to frost; then place them in heat 

 and they ought to start away all right. 

 Spira'as, after being received, should 

 always be exposed to some frost. 



Cattleya Trianae with Twenty Blooms on Three Spikes. 



