12 



The Florists^ Review 



V Januaey 16, 1913. 



SEASONABLE NOTES. 



Dendrobiums. 



The earliest plants of Dendrobium 

 nobile and some of its hybrids have al- 

 ready some flowers expanded, and for 

 the next two months or more these 

 beautiful East Indian orchids will 

 make a grand display. Just as soon as 

 the nodes on the flower stems show 

 prominently, remove the plants from 

 the cool, dry house where they have 

 been resting, to warmer and moister 

 quarters. Spray overhead on clear 

 days, but do not afford much moisture 

 at the roots or many of the nodes will 

 develop growths instead of flowers. 

 There is much less likelihood of the 

 plants getting too much moisture about 

 the roots if they are suspended from 

 the roof rather than stood on the 

 benches. 



These winter and early spring flower- 

 ing dendrobes are fine for use in store 

 windows, and as they can be sold at a 

 moderate price there is an increasing 

 call for them at the better class of 

 stores. In addition to the many fine 

 forms of nobile, of which nobilius, 

 Sanderianum, Cooksonianum, albi- 

 florum (pure white), virginale, Mur- 

 rhinianum and Amesia? are extra fine, 

 such hybrids as Luna, chrysodiscus, 

 Cybele, Schneiderianum, Ainsworthii, 

 Cassiope, splendidissimum grandiflorum 

 and Harold are extra good and all are 

 good growers. The strikingly beautiful 

 D. Wardianum, with flowers often four 

 inches across, must also be mentioned, 

 as well as D. Findleyanum, which has 

 been much used in hybridizing. All 

 the dendrobes are grand for table 

 decorations, but when used in this way 

 they should be afforded more water at 

 the root than when in the greenhouse. 



Phaius. 



The spikes are now well advanced on 

 Pliaius grandifolius, which is the best 

 known and most easily grown of these 

 terrestrial orchids. While these are 

 quite robust growing plants and must 

 never be kept entirely dry at the root, 

 the water supply should now be much 

 reduced, but the atmosphere in which 

 they are growing should be kept moist. 

 A temperature of 55 degrees at night 

 is ample for them and the atmosphere 

 should 1 never be stuffy. They love 

 fresh air as much as cattleyas and 

 succeed well at the cool end of the 

 cattleya house. Some of the charming 

 and free blooming hybrids, such as 

 Cooksonii and Norman, can be grown 

 in quite a small bench space compared 

 with the robust P. grandifolius. The 

 phaio-calanthe hybrids, between phaius 

 and calanthe, require more heat than 

 phaius. Keep the leaves sponged as 



well as occasionally sprayed, for thrips 

 and scale often attack them. For com- 

 post I find that two-thirds fibrous 

 loam, with the finer particles shaken 

 out, and one-third fern fiber answer 

 well, adding a little dried cow manure 

 for P. grandifolius. All grow best in 

 pots and ample drainage must be 

 afforded. 



Cymbidiums. 



Cymbidiums, which are usually found 

 in their native state growing at con- 

 siderable elevations on the mountains 

 in Java, Borneo, Nepal and other 

 warm parts of Asia, require an inter- 

 mediate temperature, 50 to 52 degrees 

 at night being sufficiently warm. In 

 summer they must be well shaded and 

 given plenty of fresh air. Nearly all 

 are robust growing and succeed best 

 in pots containing equal parts of fern 

 fiber and fibrous loam, to which has 

 been added some fresh-chopped sphag- 

 num moss. Frequent repotting is to 

 be discouraged, as the roots resent it; 



Album 



DofG 



^Designs^ 



SECOND EDITION 



508 SomU Olartwn SUMl 

 CHICAGO 



The Second Album. 



once in three years is usually sufficient. 

 Water must be supplied sparingly until 

 root growth becomes active. In sum- 

 mer, when in full growth, a liberal 

 supply is necessary. 



Cymbidium Lowianum, with its long, 

 many-flowered racemes, is the best 

 known of the family. As many as 

 thirty to forty flowers are sometimes 

 produced on a raceme and the flowers 

 have wonderful lasting properties, 

 keeping fresh for fully three months. 

 The variety Lowianum concolor, with 

 a clear yellow lip, is handsome. C. 



eburneum will have its ivoiy white 

 flowers open in two or three weeks. 

 These are produced singly on erect 

 stalks and are three to four inches 

 across. The hybrid eburneo-Lowianum 

 carries five to ten flowers, paler in 

 color than Lowianum, on its stout 

 flower spikes. This species will soon 

 be in flower. The comparatively new 

 species, C. Sanderi, also called insigne, 

 with pinkish flowers, is fine. C. Traey- 

 anum is a summer bloomer which 

 makes a grand specimen plant. There 

 are a number of good hybrids now in 

 commerce. Of these C. Veitchii, C. 

 Holfordianum and C. Winnianum are 

 all desirable additions. 



Miltonias. 



Of the warmer growing miltonias, 

 M. Roezlii is perhaps the most beauti- 

 ful, as well as of greatest commercial 

 value. It needs plenty of heat and 

 moisture all the day. It is almost con- 

 stantly growing and should therefore 

 never be allowed to become dry at the 

 root. It also needs frequent spraying 

 to keep insect pests in check. There 

 is a pure white form of this miltonia 

 which is particularly desirable. 



Miltonia vexillaria, one of the most 

 beautiful of early summer blooming 

 Colombian orchids, is now in active 

 growth. The plants need a light, sunny 

 position, which will cause the leaves 

 to take on a ruddy hue. A tempera- 

 ture of 55 degrees at night and a mod- 

 erate amount of water at the roots are 

 needed. Often the leaves will come 

 stuck together and will grow deformed 

 unless carefully separated with a thin 

 piece of wood or a knife blade. M. 

 Candida is a wonderfully free-blooming 

 fall-flowering sort. The flowers are yel- 

 lowish, spotted brown, with a white 

 lip flushed with pink, M. Bleuana is 

 the peer of the whole family. It likes 

 more heat than M. vexillaria, 60 de- 

 grees at night suiting it in winter. 

 It wants only a moderate water supply 

 now, as do M. Bluntii and M. Clowesii. 



THE SECOND ALBUM. 



The Album of Designs published by 

 The Review last spring seemed to fill a 

 long-felt want; an edition designed to 

 last a year was sold out within eight 

 months. The last of the presswork on 

 the second edition was completed Jan- 

 uary 13 and the book now is in the 

 bindery. It will be ready for mailing 

 some day this week. In general char- 

 acter the book is the same as the first 

 edition, though many new designs have 

 been substituted where two or more of 

 somewhat similar character appeared in 

 the first edition. The book is printed 

 on fine, enameled paper and is substan- 

 tially bound in a cover which will stand 

 wear. Although many people were so 

 kind as to say that the first edition was 

 worth more money than the price asked 

 for it, the price has not been raised for 

 the second edition. Copies will be sent 

 postpaid at 75 cents each, or in dozen 

 lots at 50 cents by express collect. 



A SAMPLE OF VIOLETS. 



I enclose a sample of violets and shall 

 be pleased to have your opinion on their 

 quality. Please state, also, what variety 

 vou consider them to be. T. E. T. 



The flowers are of fine quality and 

 appear to be Princess of Wales. 



C. W. 



