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FENNELL’S ORCHID: 
Published Quarterly by PENNELL ORCHID CO. ye — Route 1, Box 230, Homestead: Florida 
Orchid Importers, Growers and Hybridists For Over 50 Years 
VOL. 7 
FALL-WINTER — 1953 
NO. 2 
Our Seed 
Planting 
Technique 
Many of our cus- 
tomers ask how we go 
about planting orchid 
seed. Here is a step by 
step description of the 
methods we employ: 
1 — Flask Preparation. 
We use Knudson’s for- 
mula B (see page 7). 
Adjust the pH of the 
solution to 4.8-5.0 by 
addition of Phosphoric 
acid. The easiest meth- 
od of testing the ph is 
with a  Colormetric 
method such as the use 
of the Lamotte Soil 
Testing Kit. (Available 
from any large Chemi- 
cal Supply House) The 
Bacto Orchid Agar is 
buffered to a ph of 5.0 
if distilled water is used in mix- 
ing it, and hence no pH adyjust- 
ment is necessary. 
We mix the ingredients to- 
gether and bring to a boil so that 
the Agar is completely dissolved. 
Then we pour the prepared Agar 
solution into 500cc Ehrlenmeyer 
flasks or 32 ounce prescription 
bottles. (Insted of mixing your 
own formula you can buy the 
ready mixed formula in dry form. 
It is called Difco Bacto Orchid 
Agar and is sold by the Difco 
Laboratories, Detroit 1, Michigan, 
in 1 lb. and % lb. packages.) We 
put 150 to 200ce’s of the formula 
into a 500cc flask, or 200 to 250cc 
into a 32 oz. bottle and then close 
the bottle with a 1 hole rubber 
stopper. The hole in this stopper 
is first packed about % full with 
non-absorbent cotton. A small 
plug of Mercurichrome-soaked 
absorbent cotton is then placed 
on top of the non-absorbent cot- 
ton and the remaining % of the 
hole is packed with the non-ab- 
sorbent cotton. This forms a trap 
ce 
sheath 
Cattleya hybrid we have ever seen. 
tall and are in 6” to 8” pots. They have big heavy bulbs and their 
wide, heavy gracefully held leaves are a beautiful dark green. 
Flowers are large, dark and heavy textured with a large, dark, 
ruffled lip. 
Flowering size plants in 6 to 8” pots, 1 lead in sheath 
Our largest and strongest plants in 7 to10 inch pots, 2 leads im 
$37.50 ea. 
ONE OF OUR FINEST CATTLEYA HYBRIDS. 
Le Black Hawk x BC Apollo is the largest, strongest growing 
for fungus spores, yet it allows 
gaseous exchange to take place 
between the bottle and the out- 
side air. 
After the solution is poured 
‘into the bottles we place the stop- 
per in the neck loosely and cover 
the stopper with ia small square 
of cloth which is tied firmly 
around the neck of the bottle (to 
prevent the stopper from being 
blown out by steam). We steri- 
lize the bottles by cooking in a 
steam pressure cooker for 15 min- 
utes at 15 pounds pressure. 
After cooking we remove the 
bottles from the cooker, firmly 
seat the stoppers and cool bottles 
in the position we want jelly to 
form. We cool the bottles on their 
sides to give a larger area of jelly 
for planting. 
2.—To Plant, First prepare a so- 
lution of 5 grams Calcium hypo- 
chlorite (70% chlorine) dissolved 
in 140ce water. (Calcium hypo- 
chlorite is obtainable ata Chemi- 
cal Supply House or Dairy Sup- 
(Continued on Page 3—Column 1) 
The plants are 2 to 2% feet 
$25.00 ea. 
Fennell’s 
““Orchid-a- 
Month’”’ Club 
Several years ago 
we conducted an “Or- 
chid-a-Month — Club.” 
As it was popular with 
many of our customers 
we are reviving it, and 
through the “Orchid-a- 
Month Club” you will 
be able to purchase 
four of the plants list- 
ed for the price of 
three, or if you pur- 
chase all 12 plants at 
one time, you will be 
given an extra Divi- 
dend plant in addition 
to the 4 dividend plants 
included in the four 
groups. 
The 12 plants and 
the dividend plants for 
the next year are: 
September — Cattleya trianae, 
(the Christmas Orchid), 2 lead 
Diant need aoe $12.50 
October — Phalaenopsis Doris, in 
4” pot, flowering size .... $12.50 
November—Le. Black Hawk x Le. 
Waubesa, in 5” pot, flowering 
SU ZC arvecn tee c dR See eae $15.00 
DIVIDEND — If you order all 
three plants above, (Sept.-Oct.- 
Nov.) at one time, we will in- 
clude asa Special Dividend at 
no extra charge, a fine, flower- 
ing size plant of our new hybrid 
between C. Bowringiana x C, 
Eva Shill, valued at $15.00. 
December — Le. Queen Mary x C, 
Harry Gray — A very fine dark 
hybrid. Young plant in 4%” pot, 
TY Sneath. poe see a ee de $15.00 
January — C. Triclotho—Another 
fine winter flowering hybrid. 
Young plant in 4%” & 5” pots, 
TeSHEREDS oe her ee ae $12.50 
February —Dendrobium Farmeri 
A fine compact yellow and pink 
Dendrobium (see photo page 
S)seelant ina potest 2 $8.50 
Continued on Page 3—OColumn 2 & 8) 
FENNELL ORCHID COMPANY, 
HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA 
