"Professor James E. Smith has pets, and none of his pupils object. In fact, his students do most of the caring for his 350 pet orchids, growing in the horticulture greenhouse."--Page 

Hansbrough, Vivian

University of Missouri: MOspace

Exotic blossorns in the University's horticulture greenhouses include the lad)" s slipper held by Professor .James E. S1nith, .fr., the large jJOpular showy orchids, and the small Hawaiian-type orchids. Orchids go to college Professor James E. Smith has pets, and none of his pupils object. In fact, his students do most of the caring for his 350 pet orchids, growing in the horti-cu I tu re greenhouse. Prospective florists learn the habits and vagaries of the delicately beautiful tropical plants in the greenhouse, where the temperature is kept from 62° to 65°, and where overhead pipes in-termittently spray moisture into the air to maintain high humidity. "This pot of small plants is called a community pot," Professor Smith explains. "It was potted in 1 954, bi.1 t the seeds came from a cross made . by . a student in 1949. So actually these little plants are 10 By Vivian Hansbrough years old. When the growth becomes crowded, we separate the plants and put them in individual pots." He moves on to the next pot, and puts a hand behind a bulging bud. On another table are several ambitious plants whose roots hang outside. "Just like my children, always running around barefoot," says Mr. Smith. Orchids like to hang their i·oots out in the open air, but they should be confined within pots for easier watering. When roots overhang, it is time to repot. Each plant has two main sections, the back bulb and the lead. Carefully breaking the sections ... apart, Mr. Smith demonstrates repotting. The standard or-MISSOURI ALUMNUS/ FEBRUARY '59 6 Orchids lihe lo hang their roots out in the ojJen air, much t.lu: same as children enjoy going barefoot. When the roots m1erhang, it is time to rejwt the jJlants. Prof. Srnilh rejJuls an orchid in the standard orchid jwl with {me holes for ·//enlilalion and drainage. He pulls lhe jJlant bach against one side of the jJot, and surrounds its roots with swarnjJ fern root. The "community jJot" on left contains se11eral young orchid jJlants, which will be sejJarated and jJlaced in indi-oidual jJols like the one at right:. Notice the bud, which is almost ready to ojJen. chid pot has five holes in the bottom for ventilation and drainage. Roots of a swamp fern (Osmuncla) make the best potting material, because they arc loose enough to allow room for air ancl water, they take in water from the air, and they are resistent to decay. However, these fern roots arc so tough that they are difficult to cut apart with shears. Pulling the lead plant back against the edge of the pot, Pro-fessor Smith fits fern root around the leggy roots of the orchid, and adds a generous drink of water. The blooming process will go on, with no setback because . of the rcpotting. Once a part of a plant blooms, it will not bloom again, but it will project two swellings, or shoot buds, near the base. One of these swellings develops into a new lead, which will bloom the next year. Sometimes both swellings develop into leads, and thus give double production. Most people think of orchids as only one type-the variety most in demand in flower shops-but there arc thousands of types ancl hundreds of com-binations of types. "Here is a slipper orchid," Smith says, and points out the slipper shape of a green ancl brown speckled blossom. Big two-toned orchids fit for a Cinderella ball are on the same shelf with miniature blossoms of "Hawaiian" orchids. Docs the greenhouse sell orchids? "No," Professor continued on jJage I6 MISSOURI ALUMNUS/ FEBRUARY '59 7 Ellison heads national society Samuel P. Ellison, Jr., professor o[ geology at the University of Texas, will become president of the 1400-meniber Society o[ Economic Paleontologists an<l Mineralologists in March. Ellison was born in 1914 in Kansas City, Missouri. After grad-uation from the University of Kansas City, he came to the Uni-versity of Missouri for graduate study, receiving an A.M. degree in 1938 and a Ph.D. degree in geology in 1940. Dr. Ellison's experience includes five years at the University's School of Mines ancl Metallurgy at Rolla as an instru ctor ancl assistant professor of geology. For four years ( 19,1-4-48) he was with the Stanolind Oil and Gas Company (Pan American Petroleum Corporation). In 1948 he joined the geology faculty at the Uni-versity of T exas where he is now chairman of the department. Ellison's publications include papers on petroleum geology, mic-ropaleontology, paleoccology, educational techniques, and stratig raphy. He is a fellow in the Geology Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a mem-ber of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Society of Petroleum Engineers, and Sigma Xi. He has returned to the M. U. campus on several occasions and has given lectures to geology students and staff memhPrs here. Dr. Samuel P. Ellison, .Jr. Social work program expands The University of Missouri School of Social Work has further expanded its program in the corrections field by the appointment of a new staff member espe-cially responsible for the teaching and placement of students in field work to give them practical experi-ence, according to Arthur ,!\T. Nebel, director of the school. The new staff member is Dale G. Hardman, formerly with the Utah State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and also the Utah State Industrial School at Ogden, who has been appointed assistant professor of social work. A grant of $10,831 for training in vocational re-habilitation has been given to the University by the Department of Health, Education, and ,,Velfare. Nebel will administer the gift, which includes a teaching grant of $6,695, plus expenses of $560. This will go to Paul Mengel, assistant professor of social work, for classroom teaching and supervision of stu-dent field work. The rest of the grant is for two grad-uate traineeships. · ORCHIDS GO TO COLLEGE from page 7 Smith replies, "except to Horists occasionally. ,,ve are not competing with commercial business. If we have several blooms which a florist wants, we sell them to him and use the money for greenhouse supplies. We're not trying to make money. We're here to train future florists and nurserymen." Growing orchids is a glamorous but minor portion . of the work carried on by- students in lloriculture. One boy completed a poinsettia project before Christ-mas. Two girls who are interested in design are grow-ing carnations, using procedui"es followed by com-mercial florists. Two students work with roses; one has a year-around chrysanthemum project; one is ex-perimenting with soilless gardening, using gravel and a nutrient. Dr. Marlin Rogers is directing research in the flowering habits of snapdragons under different light treatments. The floriculture department is doing re-search on the keeping qualities of flowers, and is co• operating with the agricultural economics depart-ment in a study of standard grading of flowers. Other departments have projects on insect control and disease control which are closely connected with Horiculture. During the past 10 years, more than 100 students majoring in floriculture have been graduated from the University, and an equal number took courses to supplement their studies in other departments. More than half of the graduates are employed in the florist industry. Four of the graduates are girls who are con-tinuing in floricultural pursuits. At the present time, 15 students are training to be designers and flower shop managers, and 12 are studying landscaping and greenhouse management. In addition to prescribed courses in floriculture, they round out their programs with courses in business, journalism, art, and certain basic courses in arts and science. Classroom lectures and discussion help to crystallize ideas for novice florists, who learn to practice in the greenhouse what their professors preach about plant cu1ture. MISSO:URI ALUMNUS/ FEBRUARY '59 16 

Orchids go to college

https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/10355/75959/1/MizzouAlumnus1959FebP6-7%2c%2016.pdf

Orchids go to college

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Missouri: MOspace