15G SEVENTEENTH REPORT. 



GROWING ALIEN CACTI IN MICHIGAN. 



BY W. E. PKAEGER. 



lu the Spring- of 1!>11 I received from the Desert Laboratory of 

 Tiicsou, Arizoua, a collection of Cacti. My intention was to see if 

 any of the mountain species from Arizona that yearly endure a 

 freezing temperature would grow in Michigan. Dr. Forrest Shreve 

 kindly sent me representatives of thirteen si>ecies including some 

 from the mountains, mesas and foothills. The vertical r^nge of 

 some of these was several thousand feet. 



The following species were represented: 



Echinocereus polyacanthus 



E. acanthocarpa 



E. fendleri 



Maniillaria arizonica 



M. grahami 



Carnegia gigantea 



Oimntia neo-arbuscula 



O. arizonica 



O. leptocaulis 



O fulgida 



O. santarita 



O. spinosior 



O. versicolor 



The specimens were planted in a raised bed. the soil of which had 

 a good proportion of sand. They were in full sun most of the day 

 though the morning and evening lights were interfered with by 

 trees. During the summer they thrived and several of them Howercd. 

 I started some new plants from cuttings and as winter approached 

 potted duplicates and kept them in the house. 



This fall from the middle of September was very wet. On the 

 12th of November there was a drop of 50 degrees in twenty-four 

 hours, the thermometer at that time reached IS F. and cold and 

 snow lasted for two weeks. December was mostly mild. 50 degrees 

 being registered on the 10th. T went botanizing on Christmas day 

 and found many things growing. On the 80tli it became cold again 

 and for ten weeks there was continuous and severe cold with 



