October Meeting:
Our next meeting will be held in the auditorium of Matthaei Botanical Gardens on Sunday, October 13th. Setup and conversation starts about 2 PM, and the formal meeting begins at 2:30 PM. Our program will be Mr. Dennis D'Alessandro who will present a slide-illustrated talk on "The Orchids of Ecuador." Mr. D'Alessandro formerly lived in Ecuador and is the owner of Gypsy Glen Orchids in Pennsylvania, is an importer of orchid species. He will be bringing plants to sell at the meeting.

Coming in November! Area orchid growers who successfully grow their plants indoors will present a forum on Sunday, November 10th. Suggestions for set-ups for growing orchids under lights will be discussed.

Virus Testing
by Harry Winter

The article in the May newsletter inspired a few of our members to have us test some of their orchids for virus, but the response to the testing program has been well below expectation. Because of the low response, we are not planning on ordering more test supplies and reagent for some time once the current supply is exhausted or loses its potency.

Therefore, your chance to get your orchids tested for virus in the near future may be running out. As an incentive, we are offering a special price: you can have 10 samples done for $20.00 (regularly $25.00), with each additional test at $2.00.

Put any samples you would like to have tested in individual zip-lock bags, with a piece of paper containing your name, the name (or at least the genus) of the plant, and some identifying number so you can tell which plant the sample came from. If you have several of the same plant, you may not remember exactly which one was being tested. Please write in pencil, as some inks may wash off. Though not absolutely necessary, you can also write down any symptoms th e plant may exhibit such as leaf mottling, color break in the flowers, general declie in vigor, etc. The sample should be cut from young, mature leaves, using a new blade with each cut. For thick-leaved plants like Cattleyas, only about a half-inch tip of the leaf, or a couple of quarter-inch by one inch slivers from the leaf edge is needed. For thin-leaved orchids such as Cymbidiums, Zygopetalums, etc., about twice this area is needed. You needn't cut so big a chunk that the plant is disfigured.

Place the samples in the refrigerator if you cut more than a day or so before you submit them. I will not be at the October meeting (be out of town that weekend), so the samples can be given to Connie. You may also mail them to me at 614 Westwood Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48103, or take them to Connie at Matthaei Gardens during regular hours.

For information call me at 761-5859 (home) or 764-5437 (work), or Connie at 747-6493 (home), or 998-7061 (Matthaei).

"A Garden-Friendly Native Orchid:Spiranthes cernua odorata `Chadds Ford" by Barry Glick ; Illustration by Stephen K-M. Tim. Barry Glick is the proprietor of Sunshine Farm and Gardens, Renick, West Virginia; (304) 497-3163; email address: barryg@slip.net; also look at his world wide web pages on the Internet: http://www.gardenweb.com/sunshine/ OR http://www.gardenweb.com/cyberplt/ .