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December 13, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



519 



here, and it should be a stockman's paradise, but the great 

 herds of cattle are browsing all the year in the mountain- 

 forest and doing infinite damage. If they were kept out of the 

 woods in spring until the Wild Peas and Desmodiums had 

 started into strong growth they would do less harm, since they 

 would prefer this fodder to browsing on the bushes, and yet 

 herds of cattle can never trample through a forest month after 

 month without injurmg it. 

 Raleigh, N. c. f^- F- Massey. 



Orchids for Market-flowers. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — A few days ago I paid a visit to the Orchid nurseries of 

 Mr. Ignatius Forsterman, at Newtown, Long Island, and 

 found the place a most interesting one, notwitlistanding the 

 fact that it contains few specimen plants and comparatively 

 few varieties. Mr. Forsterman's business is primarily that 

 of an importer of Orchids, and he is the first man in this 

 country, at least, to import Orchids in quantity to supply flor- 

 ists who grow them for the cut-flower market, and restricting 

 his importations to those varieties which are most profitable 

 for cut-flower purposes. The cultivation of Orchids for cut 

 flowers is comparatively new. Half a dozen years ago, it is 

 true, an Orchid-flower was sold now and then, and occasional 

 sprays of these flowers from private collections were not un- 

 known at sumptuous entertainments ; but there was nothing 

 like a regular demand, and, therefore, nothing like a regular sup- 

 ply of them, and at least five hundred Orchid-flowers are sold 

 to-day where one was sold half a dozen years ago. Mr. Forster- 

 man's prosperous establishment is a proof that the business 

 has already reached considerable proportions. Its rapid growth 

 is due largely to the efforts of Mr. Charles Thorley, one of the 

 leading florists of this city. Long before he could sell a single 

 Orchid-flower he was in the habit of decorating his windows 

 with them, and he occasionally pressed one on his best cus- 

 tomers even when he lost money by it. He was always push- 

 ing them forward with the purpose of introducing them as 

 market-flowers. His success in this particular has been 

 marked, so that now he very often sells from five hundred to 

 one thousand for a single wedding or ball, and sometimes 

 even more. This means that there must be a regular supply, 

 especially for this city, which is the chief market. In the neigh- 

 borhood of New York, among the florists who grow them 

 largely for market are Julius Roehrs, of Carlton Hill, New 

 Jersey ; Pitcher & Manda, who, in addition to their nursery 

 business, sell many Orchid-blooms ; W. H. De Forest, Sum- 

 mit, New Jersey ; J. N. Keller, Bay Ridge, New York ; F. 

 Schuchardt, Newtown, Long Island ; Siebrecht& Wadley, New 

 Rochelle, and Mr. Forsterman himself, who keeps a large 

 number of flowering plants, and who announces to the trade 

 that he holds himself always in readiness to supply a hundred 

 flowers on a telegraphic order. Outside of New York, the 

 principal growers are Edwin Lonsdale, of Philadelphia, J. T. 

 Anthony, of Chicago, and Benjamin Grey, of Boston. A fair 

 estimate of the amount paid to retail dealers for Orchid-flow, 

 ers this winter in New York would be about $25,000. 



The plants most largely imported by Mr. Forsterman are 

 Cattleyas. These are not expensive ; they can be grown easily ; 

 people have learned to know what they are ; they show well 

 by artificial light and a supply is always obtainable. Cattleya 

 Trianse begins to bloom in late November and lasts well 

 through the winter , C. Mossise comes on in April and May ; 

 C. Gaskelliana in June and July, and then in September and 

 October C. labiata autumnalis is in season. There is some- 

 thing of a gap between the last flowers of Cattleya Trianas and 

 the first of C. Mossias, and Mr. Forsterman is now hurrying 

 forward C. Gaskelliana for Easter, and, owing to its peculiar 

 way of flowering, he has no doubt that he can have it flower in 

 time. He imports very few plants of C. Percivaliana, because, 

 in this country, this species comes in with C. Trianre, and 

 therefore seems to be superfluous. The flowers of Cattleyas 

 retail at from seventy-five cents to $1.00 each. 



Next in order, according to the number sold, come the Cypri- 

 pediums, principally C. insigne, although many plants of C. 

 villosum and C. Lawrencianum are used, while occasionally 

 the flowers of some expensive hybrids are seen in market. 

 Cypripediums are largely used in making wreaths and baskets 

 and for table-decorations. C. insigne is especially valuable, 

 since its rich, but rather undecided, colors harmonize with 

 almost every other tint. Besides this, it is a very sturdy plant, 

 and does well outside in the summer under canvas. Phalas- 

 nopses are used to some extent for the market, especially P. 

 amabilis, and in smaller quantities P. Schilleriana and P. Stu- 

 artiana. P. grandiflora would be an excellent plant for market, 

 as it has a fine white flower, and the demand for white Orchids 



is insatiable, but it is difficult to grow, more so even than the 

 other Phatenopses, which, unless special care is taken, will 

 often dwindle away. Uendrobium formosum giganteum, an- 

 other white flower, is also in demand, for, although it is not 

 so graceful as the Phalasnopses, it keeps better. Dendrobium 

 Wardianum and D. nobile are grown to a considerable extent, 

 but their flowers are not usually cut, and the plants themselves, 

 when in bloom, are rented to florists, who place them in their 

 windows to make them attractive. 



The flowers of Oncidium varicosum and O. tigrinum always 

 sell well, as they are very graceful and rich in coloring. They 

 are not long-lived, however ; they make such strong spikes 

 that the eftbrt seems to exhaust them. On account of the 

 beauty of its long, arching spike, thickly set with large flowers, 

 ranging from pure white to cream-white and various mark- 

 ings, Odontoglossuin crispum would probably be classed as 

 the most desinable of all Orchids for market purposes, but it is 

 an expensive plant, it is hard to grow, and it is quite uncertain. 

 The failure of the bulbs to ripen perfectly, too much heat in 

 summer, or many other chances, will blast the hopes of its 

 grower. This about completes the list of the Orchids now in 

 use. Mr. Forsterman is of the opinion that several others will 

 be profitably grown in the future, and yet it would be a risk to 

 recommend any one now to use them in quantity until further 

 experience is gained. Dendrobium Phalaenopsis probably is 

 to be one of the useful plants in the future, as it is easy to 

 grow ; its flowers are of an acceptable color, its spike is lono- 

 and graceful, and it lasts well. It is not yet sufficiently abun^ 

 dant, however, to be sold in any quantity for cut flowers. 



Mr. Forsterman has seven large houses, each 100 to 150 feet 

 long, and most of these are well stocked out of the 40,000 

 plants which he has imported within the last two years to sell 

 in quantity. No bench-space is lost, for, with the exception "of 

 the Cypripediums, they all hang in six-inch pots above other 

 plants which will thrive in this partial shade. In a house full 

 of Cattleya Mossiae which was potted in September nearly 

 every plant is now showing flower-sheaths and strong roots. 

 Near the peak of this cool-house were two or three rows of C. 

 Trianas, which were being transferred to a warmer house as 

 they advanced, in order to flower them, and when the flower- 

 ing season is over they are brought back. Below these plants 

 are benches of Kentias and some hardy Ferns, which seemed 

 in luxuriant health. Mr. Forsterman had tried some of the 

 colored Dracaenas, but they did not succeed here. In the 

 warmer house under the Orchids were many fine plants of 

 Ardisia crenulata full of fruit ; some bright Anthuriums, with 

 Adiantum Farleyense growing like a weed ; Cocos Weddelli- 

 ana, and some Selaginella. Here many plants of C. Trianae 

 were in flower, some of them striking varieties, the flower of 

 one being almost pure white. The chance of finding choice 

 varieties in such large importafions is very considerable, and 

 these largely increase the chances of profit. 



In another house, where pots of Cattleya Gaskelliana and 

 Vanda ccerulea were hanging on the north side, there were 

 some fine stocky Azaleas, already beginning to flower for 

 Christmas, and another still, with Dendrobiums and Cattleya 

 Mossias on the north side, was full of Lilies, Carnations and 

 Marguerites. In a low narrow house a thousand pots of Cypri- 

 pedium insigne were seen, each containing three growths, and 

 from these Mr. Forsterman expected many improved varie- 

 ties. His importations of these Cypripediums last year 

 amounted to 12,000. In the same house I noted a large num- 

 ber of Cymbidium eburneum and C. Mastersi, which looks as 

 if Mr. Forsterman considered these likely to be profitable 

 market-plants. 



I observed many other interesting points in connection with 

 the cultivation of Genistas, Aspidistras and other plants, but, 

 after all, the Orchids were the object of chief interest. 



The business only started four years ago with a very mod- 

 erate capital, and that it is so pla'inly successful is one of the 

 striking facts in the current history of commercial floriculture. 

 Mr. Forsterman is himself a collector of long experience, 

 having spent half a dozen years in the East, traveling through 

 Burma. Assam, Siam, Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the Philip- 

 pine Islands. He afterward represented a large English firm 

 in this country for several years, so that he is not onlv thor- 

 oughly acquainted with the'habits of the plants, but with the 

 needs of this market. In addition to their beauty and grace, 

 as well as their striking difference from the majority of flowers 

 that are grown for sale. Orchid-flowers have the advantage of 

 being very durable after they are cut, so that, when the time 

 they last is considered, they are not really much more expen- 

 sive than other first-class flowers,.and Mr. Forsterman has no 

 doubt that the business will continue to expand in the future 

 as rapidly as it has done in the past. 



New York. S, 



