

18 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



NOVBMBER 9, 1911. 



^itn/ 



SEASONABLE NOTES. 



Cattleya Citrina. 

 Cattleya citrina, commonly called the 

 tulip orchid, is a sweet-scented Mexican 

 variety, often purchased by travelers 

 in Mexico. It resents warm treatment. 

 In its native home it is found at quite 

 a high altitude on the mountains and 

 it succeeds best here on blocks of hard 

 wood on which some fern fiber is fas- 

 tened, if hung well up to the ventilators 

 in a cool house and given no shade ex- 

 cept in the hottest weather. The bulbs 

 will soon be made up, when the water 

 supply can be considerably reduced, in- 

 creasing it as the flower buds begin 

 to push downward. 



Vanda Coerulea. 



There are many failures with Vanda 

 ccerulea, the lovely blue orchid, through 

 its being grown too warm and shaded. 

 Splendid dark green plants, which 

 would win applause from anyone, can 

 be thus grown, but they fail to flower 

 satisfactorily. Unlike some other East 

 Indian species, V. ccerulea likes plenty 

 of sun and wants to be grown at the 

 cooler rather than at the warmer end 

 of the cattleya house. As the flowers 

 start to expand, put them in a shaded 

 place, so that the flowers will not fade 

 out. Many spikes will already hav^ 

 been cut from this vanda, but a con- 

 siderable crop is now due and occa- 

 sional ones may be looked for until 

 after New Year's. After flowering, 

 any particularly tall plants which have 

 lost their lower foliage may be cut 

 down. They generally have plenty of 

 roots and soon recover from being cut 

 down. A compost of fern fiber and 

 fresh sphagnum grows this vanda well. 



Dendrobium Nobile. 

 Dendrobium nobile and its varieties, 

 also many hybrids, D. Wardianum and 

 some others, will now mostly have their 

 growths well made up. As fast as the 

 growths are well plumped up, hang 

 them in a cool, dry house in the full 

 eun to be thoroughly ripened, as this 

 is essential to successful flowering. 

 Merely water sufficiently to prevent 

 shriveling, but give them a spraying 

 over on hot days. Already flower nodes 

 are showing on some hybrids. These 

 will flower in January, when orchids 

 are much in demand. 



D. Fhalsenopsis Schroederianum. 



Dendrobium Phalsenopsis Schroederi- 

 anum is one of the most graceful and 

 satisfactory of fall flowering orchids. 

 It is now producing plenty of its long, 

 arching spikes of flowers. Some have 

 produced twenty or more to the spike. 

 For cutting, this variety is splendid. 

 It does best in small pans or baskets, 

 hung well up to the glass, and enjoys 



lots of heat and moisture, except after 

 flowering, when it should be rested for 

 a couple of months in a cooler house. 

 The old form, D. Phalsenopsis, flowers 

 later than Schroederianum, and the 

 flowers are rather darker in color. It 

 is useful at Christmas and lasts well 

 into January. 



Cattleya Trianae. 



While Cattleya labiata has larger and 

 showier flowers than C. Triariaj and may 

 be depended on to furnish flowers for 

 some time yet, it is on C. Trianae that 

 we depend in the main for our cattleya 

 flowers in winter. A few sheaths now 

 have buds peeping in them and these 

 should be out for Christmas, but it is 

 in January, February and March that 

 the real crop comes in. C. Trianse likes 

 a little more warmth than labiata. 

 Give Trianse all possiljle light from now 

 on. It is in some ways quite often dis- 

 appointing, making up handsome bulbs 

 from which we look for three to five 

 flowers, and the result is often a soli- 

 tary flower. C. labiata never disap- 

 points us in this way and it is rather 

 a pity that the two could not change 

 places, as labiata would be the finer 

 winter variety. Seeing this can not 

 be, we must raise hybrids In quantity, 

 containing labiata blood, which will 



flower abundantly in the first months 

 of the year. 



liselia Anceps. 



The Mexican Iselias, including anceps. 

 autumnalis, Gouldiana, flava, acuminata 

 and others, do not need a high winter 

 temperature; 55 degrees at night should 

 not be exceeded. All will have spikes 

 now well advanced. They should have 

 a good supply of water until the flower 

 ing season passes. They should also 

 have plenty of sun. Some of the earlier 

 ones will naturally flower for Christ 

 mas, but the majority come rather 

 later. Hang the pans or baskets up 

 near the glass, lowering them if the 

 spikes touch the roof and giving them 

 a cobler and shadier location when the 

 flowers expand. 



NABCISSUS EMPEBOB. 



Will you kindly advise me througl 

 your paper how to treat Natcissus Em 

 peror? I have a good cellar to put 

 them in. Should I cover them with 

 ashes or should I put them in flats in 

 three of four inches of soil, and set 

 them on the cellar bottom? Anything 

 you can tell me will be appreciated. 



C. A. 



The Emperor will do well in flats 

 containing four inches of soil, two- 

 thirds loam, one-third well rotted man 

 ure and some sharp sand added. A cel- 

 lar floor will answer very well provided 

 there is no free heat in the cellar. If 

 there is, you had better dig a trench 

 outdoors where water will not stand. 

 Lay five inches of cool ashes in the bot- 

 tom. Then stand your flats over this; 

 soak well with water and cover with a 

 thin layer of ashes. Bains which may 

 come will not harm the bulbs. As cold 

 weather advances, cover with more 

 ashes and a layer of strawy manure, 

 over which boards can be laid. If you 

 have a cool cellar, it will be better and 

 more convenient than placing them out 

 doors. C. W. 



PEAS FOB SUMMEB CULTXTBE. 



What are the best two sweet peas, in 

 pink and white, for spring and summer 

 inside culture where only five to eight 

 feet of head room can bo allowed? 



The Spencer type of sweet peas is 

 the best for late spring and summer 

 flowering under glass. Countess Spen- 

 cer, the original of this type, a charm- 

 ing clear pink, and White Spencer, 

 pure wavy white, would be an excel- 

 lent pair of varieties to grow. Mont 

 Blanc, pure white, is an earlier bloomer 

 and also dwarfer in habit, but is not 

 good after the early part of May. 

 Watchung is another white, growing 

 not over six feet high. While Christ- 



mas pink is a splendid midwinter and 

 spring variety, in the warm weather 

 you will find the Spencer varieties the 

 best. C. W. 



GLADIOLI OB SWEET PEAS. 



What would you advise me to put in 

 a house of roses that has failed! I 

 have been thinking of putting in gladi- 

 oli and sweet peas. What kinds and at 

 what time would you advise planting t 



J. H. 



It depends on which flower meets 

 with the best call with you. I think 

 sweet peas would prove the more profit- 

 able. They prefer solid beds to raised 

 benches and want a generous compost 

 with plenty of well rotted cow or sheep 



L.:?..*-, 





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