cattleya General Patton

[james mickelso]

Hi kids. Happy New Year to all. I have recently flowered a very fragrant white cattleya that I believe is a General Patton. After my clubs annual auction I took home a bunch of cattleyas which were donated but didn't sell and were in very poor condition. I have been either potting what I can salvage or putting them in gallon ziplock bags with damp spagnum moss. One of the catts had the very beginnings of a flower sheath poking up and I put it in a gallon bag and put it in the warmest place in my greenhouse. When it put forth a couple roots I potted it in medium bark, charcol, perlite and peat moss. It has continued to do well and the flowers finally matured and opened. I have looked all over the internet and this is what I found. General Patton. Cross of c. Barbara Billingsley x c. Bow Bells. Flowered by Clint McDade Rivermont Orchids, Tenn 1952 and first registered as c. Joseph Stalin. But after the dictators heinous crimes became known, RHS was asked to rename the catt after General Patton. The tag which accompanied the plant I have read c b billingsley x c bowb ll and a bunch of other letters w/numbers. Very difficult to read. When I figure out how to load the pictures to here I will. Hope all have a wonderful New Year.