1900 SUPPLEMENT—RECENT INTRODUCTIONS, 
Cacti—continued. 
Porrimyc. Cactuses, when healthy, are injuriously 
affected by frequent disturbance at the roots. On the 
arrival of the potting season, which for these plants is in 
April and May, the roots of established plants should be 
examined, and if they are found to be in a healthy 
condition, and the soil sweet, they should be replaced 
in the same pots to continue in them another year. 
If the roots are decayed, or the soil has become sour, it 
should be shaken away from the roots, which must be 
examined, cutting away all decayed portions, and shorten- 
ing the longest roots to within a few inches of the base of 
the plant. Cactuses are so tenacious of life, and appear to 
rely so little on their roots, that it will be found the wisest 
plan; when repotting them, to cut the roots thoroughly. 
The size of pots most suitable is what would be con- 
sidered small in comparison with other plants, Cactuses 
preferring to be somewhat restricted as to root-room. 
This, indeed, is how they are found when wild, the roots 
generally Scab themselves in the crevices of the rocks or 
stones about which the plants grow, so that a large 
specimen is often found to have only a few inches of space 
in the cleft of a rock for the whole of its roots. When 
thus limited, growth is firmer and the flowers are produced 
in much greater profusion than when a liberal amount of 
space is afforded. The pots should be well drained—about 
one-fifth of their depth filled with drainage when intended 
for large, strong-growing kinds, and one-third for the 
smaller ones, such as Mamillarias. A layer of rough fibry 
material should be placed over the crocks to prevent the 
finer soil from stopping the drainage. When filling in the 
soil, press it down firmly, spreading the roots well amongst 
it, and keeping the base of the plant only lin. or so below 
the surface. 
For plants with weak stone stakes will be necessary, 
and even stout-stemmed kinds, when their roots are not 
sufficient to hold them firmly, will do best if fastened to 
one or two strong stakes till they have made new roots 
and got firm hold of the soil. Epiphyllums, when grown 
as standards, should be tied to strong wire supports, those 
with three short, prong-like legs being most desirable, as, 
owing to the weight of the head of the plant, a single stake 
is not sufficient to hold the whole firmly After potting, 
no water should be given for a few weeks. In fact, if the 
atmosphere in which the plants are placed be kept a little 
moist, it will not be necessary to water them till signs of 
fresh growth are perceived. 
For Epiphyllums and Rhipsalis, water will be required 
earlier than this; but even they are best left for a few 
days without water after they have been repotted. As 
soon as fresh growth is perceived, the plants may be well 
watered, and from this time water may be supplied as 
often as the soil approaches dryness. Newly-imported 
plants, which on arrival are usually much shrivelled and 
rootless, should be potted in rather dry soil and small 
pots, and treated as recommended above. Cactuses 
contain an abundance of nourishment stored up in their 
stems, and upon this they will continue to exist for a 
considerable time without suffering; and, when their 
growing season comes round, root action commences 
whether the soilis wet or dry, the latter being the more 
favourable. 
WATERING. 
been previously said in relation to the conditions under 
which the majority of the plants of the Cactus family 
grow when wild, that during their season of growth they 
require a good supply of moisture, both at the root and 
overhead ; and afterwards a somewhat lengthened period 
of rest, that is, almost total dryness, accompanied by all 
the sunlight possible, and generally a somewhat high 
temperature. The growing season for all those kinds 
which require to be kept dry when at rest is from the end 
of April to the middle of August, and during this time they 
should be kept moderately moist, but not constantly 
Saree Mia 
It will have been gathered from what has - 
Cacti—continued. 
saturated, which, however, is not likely to occur if the 
water is not carelessly supplied, and the drainage and soil 
are perfect. This treatment corresponds with what 
happens to Cactuses in a wild state, the frequent and heavy 
rains which occur in the earlier part of the summer in the 
American plains supplying the amount of moisture 
necessary to enable these plants to make fresh growth, and 
produce their beautiful flowers and spine-clothed fruits. 
After August, little or no rain falls, and the Cactuses 
assume a rather shrivelled appearance, which gives them 
an unhealthy look, but which is really a sign of ripeness, 
promising a plentiful crop of flowers when the rainy season 
again returns. 
As the sun in England is not nearly so powerful as in the 
hot plains of Central America and the Southern States of 
North America, where Cactuses are found in greatest 
abundance, it will be evident that, if flowers are to be 
produced, we must see that our plants have a sufficiency of 
water in early summer, and little or none during the 
autumn and winter, whilst the whole year round they should 
be exposed to all the sunlight possible, the temperature, of 
cotirse, varying with the requirements of the species, 
whether it is a native of tropical or of temperate regions. 
Tt is important that the cultivator should understand that 
if water is liberally supplied “all through the summer, the 
plants cannot obtain the rest which is necessary to their 
ripening and producing flowers, as dryness at the root alone 
is not sufficient to provide this, but must be accompanied 
by exposure to bright sunlight, which is not possible in 
England during winter, so that the ripening process must 
begin before the summer is over. 
It is possible to preserve most Cactuses alive by keeping 
them constantly growing; but, with very few exceptions, 
such treatment prevents the plants from flowering. The 
following is what is practised in the gardens where 
Cactuses are successfully cultivated. For the genera 
Cereus, Echinopsis, Echinocactus, Mamillaria, Opuntia, 
and Melocactus, a moist tropical house is provided, and in 
April the plants-are freely watered at the root, and syringed 
overhead both morning and afternoon on all bright days. 
This treatment is continued till the end of July, when 
syringing is suspended, and the water supplied to the roots 
gradually reduced. By the end of August the plants are 
placed in a large light frame with a south aspect, except 
the tall-growing kinds, which are too bulky to remove. 
In this frame the plants are kept till the summer is over, 
and are watered only about once a week should the sun be 
very powerful. The lights are removed on all bright, 
sunny days, but are kept on during wet or dull weather, and 
at night. Under this treatment, many of the species 
assume a reddish appearance, and the thick, fleshy-stemmed 
kinds generally shrivel somewhat. There is no occasion 
for alarm in the coloured and shrivelled appearance of the 
plants: on the contrary, it may be hailed as a good sign for 
flowers. 
A common complaint in relation to Cacti as flowering 
plants is that they grow all right, but rarely or never 
flower. The explanation of this is shown by the fact that, 
the plants must be properly ripened and rested before 
they can produce flowers. On the approach of cold 
weather the plants which were removed to a frame to be 
ripened should be brought back into the house for the 
winter, and kept quite dry at the roots till the return of 
spring, when their flowers will be developed either before or 
soon after the watering season again commences. 
Hitherto we have been dealing with those genera which 
have thick fleshy stems, but there still remain the genera 
Rhipsalis, Epiphyllam, and Phyllocactus, which are not 
capable of bearing the Jong period of drought advised for 
the former. The last- mentioned genus should, however, be 
kept almost dry at the root during winter, and, if placed in 
a light, airy house till the turn of the year, the branches will 
ripen, and set their flower buds much more readily than 
