May I, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



797 



the curious and the beautiful, but the majority also possess 

 another very valuable chai'acter — i.e., they are easily groma, 

 so easily, in fact, that the cottager who cau only devote 

 a small space to them in his window may, and often 

 does, {,'row many of them as successfully as the greatest 

 magnate with all the most elaborate horticultural appli- 

 ances at command. In the dry and heated atmosphere 

 ()f a room, which is so trying to most plants, they are 

 perfectly at home, and their demands upon the attention 

 of their host are so sHght that they may be left for weeks, 

 nay months, without the smallest supply of water. It is 

 not surprising, therefore, that many of the Cacti are 

 favorites with dwellers ui towns, and many a toiler has 

 had his heart lightened by a sight of the lovely flowers 

 produced by his window "cactus," or has felt the pleasure 

 of exhibiting his vegetable ciu*iosities to his friends. Ama- 

 teurs, too, in many other grades of life, have found in 

 the cultivation of these plants the satisfaction which is 

 derived from the constant study of the wonderful phases 

 of plant existence ; and though it can nevor be expected 

 that they will rise to a popularity approaching that of 

 the rose, yet there is a steadily increasing demand for them. 

 The prominent general character of the plants comprised 

 in the natural order Cactace^e is the unusually large 

 tlt'velopment of cellular tissue, to which circumstance they, 

 in common with some others of different families, owe 

 the popular and wide designation of " succulent plants." 

 The stem is, with few exceptions, leafless, and varies in 

 form from the globular Melocactus to the columnar Cereus, 

 being' generally unbranched, except in the Rhipsalises, 

 Opuntias and slender growing Cereus. The surface is either 

 marked with angular ridges from base to summit, upon 

 which are arranged with great regularity a series of clusters 

 of spines varying in size, color and number, or as in the 

 Mamillarias the sm*face is broken into a number of small 

 rounded projections or mamillte, each crowned with a cluster 

 of spines; these spines, in several of the genera furnish 

 useful characters in distinguishing the species, size, color 

 and number, being found constant in the majority of cases. 

 They are exceedingly numerous, and specimens of moderate 

 size of Cereus senilis have been fovmd to have from 50,0(10 

 to 70,000. In fact, too, the Cacti have a ■o.-i'le range of 

 variation, from some of the diminutive Mamillarias, a few 

 inches in height, to the gigantic Cereus perm-ianus, which 

 is found in its native habitat upward of 50 feet tall, and 

 the huge Echinocactus Visuaga, single specimens of which 

 have been imported weighing as much as a ton. These 

 plants contain comparatively little woody tissue except 

 when they are very much advanced in age, the cellular 

 tissue being very largely developed in the majority of the 

 typical forms, the cells being large and mostly filled with 

 a clear water-like fluid, but in others with milky, mucil- 

 aginous or slightly acrid juices. There is usually a quantity 

 of crystals of oxalate of lime, which are readily seen if 

 a st«m is cut after being dried. Having no leaves, the 

 function of respiration must be performed by the stem ; 

 but as this has to serve as a reservoir of nutriment 

 generally exposed to a burning tropical heat, it is obviously 

 of importance that the evaporation from the surface should 

 be reduced to a minimum. As a means to this end we 

 find that the storaata or breathing pores, which are so 

 iibundant on the leaves of most plants inhabitating temper- 

 ate climates, are in the cacti comparatively few. To this, 

 together with a peculiar structure of the walls of the 

 cells forming the superficial layer, is due the remarknble 

 brat and drought endurmg character that enables it to 

 live and thrive where most other vegetation would perish. 

 The flowers differ much in size and color, but they 

 mostly agree in the large number of sepals, petals and 

 stamens, both the former very frequently colored alike, 

 ji.nd only distinguishable with great difficulty. The colors 

 nuist abundant are shades of rose, crimson, purple and 

 yi'llow, some being white and others greenish. JMany 

 (lowers jiossess a powerful and most pleasing fragi-ance, 

 but they are usually of extremely short duration, some 

 lasting but a few hours during the evening or night. The 

 fruit is of a flt^shy substance, and in the case of several 

 species, such as Cereus speciosissimus nud Opuntia vulgaris, 

 it is edil>Ie, and when well ripened of a very agreeable 

 flavor, somewhat resembling that of the gooseberry, to 

 which the Cacti are distantly related. North and South 

 America are the principal homes of cactaceous plants, the 



greatest strength of the order being concentrated in Mexico, 

 which contains nearly three-fourths of the entire number 

 known. Brazil, Peru, Ohih, Guiana, Colombia and some 

 other districts in South America also contain represent- 

 atives, but in relatively small numbers. In Mexico the 

 vegetation assumes an extraordinary appearance owing to 

 the preponderance of the Oerei and other members of 

 the family, where in the several hot, dry, rocky regions 

 which characterise this portion of the American continent, 

 the Cacti flourish together with Agaves, Yuccas, Dasylirions, 

 Beaucarneas, Eeheverias, aud similar plants of the Xerophyl- 

 lons, or heat and drought loving type. In the Kocky 

 Mountains some members of the family are found at great 

 elevations, several having been observed as high as 10,000 

 feet. These being in a law temperature are practic^ally 

 hardy in a temperate climate, and form a group of ad- 

 <litional interest to the cultivator. — Journal of Horticvlture. 



MUSHROOMS. 



BY T. BENNETT. 



The mushroom is a very scarce vegetable in our markets, 

 except for a very short season, and it is a great pity for it 

 is a great luxury. 



Few people seem to have acquired a taste for it, perhaps 

 from its scarcity, but I think the time is not far distant when 

 a bottle of nice mushroom catsup will be considered a neces- 

 sary condiment on every farmer's table. The prevaling 

 opinion seems to be, that there is something very mysterious 

 in growing them; and a great many people do not know how 

 to distinguish between an edible mushroom and a poisonous 

 toadstool. 



1 may be told they are a luxury that can be done very well 

 ^vithout; to which I answer: So was tea in the time of our 

 forefathers. But who would like to part with tea now? The 

 mushroomonly requires to become well known and its manage- 

 ment pro])erly understood, to be appreciated ; and when it 

 does, it will become almost a necessity, like many other bless- 

 ings we now enjoy. Most good gardeners I believe grow 

 them, but it is chiefly for private families. 



When the farmers begin to grow then: they will be found 

 a profitable crop, their use will become general, and they will 

 be found plenty iu our markets. I do not wish to go over the 

 ground already gone over so often by others, but to show in 

 what 1 differ with them, what additions I have made (improve- 

 ments, if you wish), and how easily they can be grown in 

 abundance by any one who wishes to take a little trouble in 

 the matter. There are many works, I believe, written on the 

 subject, which I have not seen, but what is here given is 

 the result of many years' practical experience. 



In the fust place 60^ is about their mean temperature. It 

 will readily be seen tliat they do not need a hot-bed in any of 

 the summer months. A dry cellar, built of brick or stone, is 

 V>est adapted to their growth in this climate, but an arched 

 cellar built in a bank, with its end facing to the south, is 

 peculiarly adapted to them. Little flat beds on cellar floors, 

 made up of proper materials, will give abundant crops all 

 summer and fall without artificial heat. A little light and a 

 little air is necessary for wholesomeuess' sake. In the next 

 place, wood of any kind, especially pine, should never surround 

 the beds when made on the grovmd ; but the beds should be 

 built up against the wall with a few bricks in front to keep 

 the materials together. Common house slates, sunk in the 

 beds, perpendicular to the wall and on their edges, about 

 two feet apart, to half their depth, will obviate the necessity 

 of watering in a great measure. These will he found dripp- 

 ing with water nearly at all times — by the wall, by the? bricks, 

 and by these slates, they will be found very often more 

 plentiful than on other parts of the bed. But a successful 

 crop bears all over the face of the bed iu the greatest pro- 

 fusion. To have a successful crop, abundance of spawn is at 

 all times needful. It is well known that nuishroom spawn 

 breeds, or originates in materials adapted to it; but many 

 people will scarcely believe that a bed made up of pi-oper 

 materials, will, after five or six months, yield a plentiful crop 

 without having been planted with spawn. However, it is 

 not till after this spawn has bred plentifully in the bed, 

 it begins to bcir. It is not my intention to pliilosophize 

 or go into elaborate details of what spawn is. but to enter 

 at once into tbo practical part of tlie business. It is 

 admitted by all that fre.'ili maiden earth from und(T an old 

 riod, or sods of an old pasture rotted well doNvn, clean, and 



