10 



The Florists^ Review 



Febbdabt 13, 1913. 



described. The student is made to feel 

 that there is a right and a wrong way 

 to do things and his or her reason is 

 brought into play to choose the right. 

 Some of Mr. Fox 's ideas are interest- 

 ing. Never use tight buds for a theater 

 corsage bunch; they should always be 

 fully developed to make an effective 

 display. Judge your customer; while 

 it is not in good taste to sell a gaudy 

 corsage, and no one of refinement would 

 want it, still there are people who 

 would not .be satisfied with anything 



else. Do not talk too much; many a 

 good sale has been spoiled by a too 

 talkative salesman. Suppose, for in- 

 stance, that Beauties are plentiful and 

 can be sold at a good profit; the order 

 is taken, but, as the customer goes out, 

 something else is noticed. The sales- 

 man praises it and the order is revoked 

 for something far less satisfactory to 

 the house. 



These instances will show the lessons 

 Mr. Fox gives to his new school of 

 floral art. Phil. 



CALANTHES. 



The calanthe season is now nearing 

 its close, but a few words in favor of 

 this beautiful orchid and its good quali- 

 ties may be of help to someone who has 

 not succeeded with its culture, or who 

 has never tried growing it, as it seems 

 to me to deserve more attention than 

 it has yet received, both for greenhouse 

 decoration and for cut flower purposes. 

 Their long, drooping spikes, when fully 

 developed, are surely a grand sight and 

 command admiration wherever seen, 

 whether in greenhouse or drawing room, 

 and anyone who will try the following 

 cultural instructions, and use his own 

 judgment, ought to be well rewarded 

 for his pains. 



After resting the bulbs for eight or 

 nine weeks, in a dry place, where the 

 temperature does not go below 50 de- 

 grees, I shake them out of their pre- 

 vious flowering pots and clean the 

 bulbs thoroughly. I then stand .them 

 on sand in shallow boxes or seed pans 

 and put them where the temperature is 

 from 65 to 70 degrees. By keeping the 

 sand moist and the bulbs .sprinkled 

 overhead occasionally they will soon 

 start to grow. After the young roots 

 are fairly started there should be no 

 delay in potting, as they are extremely 

 tender and are liable to get broken, 

 even if you use the greatest of care. 



For potting material I use good 

 fibrous turf, shaking as much of the 

 fine soil out of it as possible, mixing 

 with that about one-fifth well rotted 

 cow manure and a good sprinkling of 

 clean, sharp sand and crushed charcoal. 

 A little orchid peat, chopped up fine, 

 also is of great benefit where the soil 

 is deficient in fiber. 



The size of pots or pans to use is im- 

 material. I use 5-inch and 6-inch pots, 

 and consider them the most convenient, 

 filling them- one-third their depth with 

 drainage. I put one large bulb in a 

 6-inch pot or two medium sized bulbs, 

 according to their size. Firm the soil 

 well in the pots and tie the large bulbs 

 to a small stake to keep them in posi- 

 tion till the young roots get a good 

 hold of the soil, when the stakes can be 

 removed. 



Water must be applied sparingly for 

 a while, but a light spray overhead 

 morning and afternoon will encourage 

 growth. Do not let the temperature 

 from now on go below 70 degrees at 

 night, and during the summer months 

 it will not harm them to let it run up 

 to 90 degrees during the day. For 

 shading I paint the glass with a mixture 

 of kerosene and white lead, medium 

 thick. During the months of August 

 and September, when the bulbs are 

 swelling, give plenty of water. Feeding 

 can also be commenced at that date. 

 Cow and sheep manure water I consider 

 about the best for that purpose, using 

 them alternately, starting in lightly, at 

 first about once a week; this can be ap- 

 plied oftener and stronger as the plants 

 advance in growth. 



Syringing should be done thoroughly 

 every bright morning to keep down red 

 spider. Keep a moist atmosphere at all 



times until the flowers begin to open; 

 then it is advisable to keep the house 

 as dry as possible and to apply water 

 more sparingly to the plants. By the 

 time the spikes are fully developed all 

 the water that is needed is just enough 

 to keep them from wilting. The tem- 

 perature also can be dropped 10 or 15 

 degrees from this on, and by keeping 

 a little air on the top sash the flowers 

 will keep in good condition for several 

 weeks. The lasting qualities of calanthes 

 for cut flower purposes ought to be 

 enough in their favor to cause more 

 growers to take an interest in them. 

 My employer showed me some he had 

 had in his house for six weeks, and 

 they were then in better condition than 

 the general run of flowers would be 

 after being three days in the same posi- 

 tion. 



The varieties grown here are Cal- 

 anthe Veitchii, a fine old standard 

 variety of which I had quite a number 

 of spikes this year four and one-half 

 feet long. Bryan is another strong 

 grower, with long, arching spikes of 

 beautiful white flowers and a deep crim- 

 son eye. Wm. Murray is similar to the 

 above, with the crimson extending all 

 over the lip; a decidedly pretty com- 

 bination. Jobstown is a pure white with 

 the faintest tint of lemon in the center. 

 Vanderbilt is a large-flowered white 

 with a rose-pink eye. Sandhurstiana is 

 a splendid dark variety. Bella is a 

 fine, large-flowered hybrid, and vestita 

 oculata and vestita rubra are good old 

 varieties that should be in every collec- 

 tion. I have also another fine, large- 

 flowered pure white hybrid which prom- 

 ises to be a winner another year. All 

 of the above varieties are well worth a 

 trial, and any grower who puts as much 

 skill into them' as he does to grow a 

 chrysanthemum for exhibition will have 

 something for his pains next Christmas. 



Peter B. Kobb. 



GLADIOLI. 



Will you please tell a beginner just 

 how to plant gladiolus bulblets? Must 

 every bulb be planted with point up, or 

 can they be sowed like peas? W. C. 



There is no need to plant each bulblet 



Calanthes Grown by Peter B. Robb, Gardener for Edward Whitia, Wbitinsville, Mass. 



