THE FLORAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



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originated from the fact of oxalate of lime being found to constitute 

 a great portion of the substance of these plants ; but lime rubbish 

 from the debris of old buildings is very different from that found in 

 the natural soil of the plants, and the effect on the roots is to cause 

 them to become stunted, and what horticulturists call clubbed ; 

 therefore my advice is, if you want your plants to grow well, don't 

 use lime rubbish. 



When the plants have been potted, they should be kept without 

 water until they show signs of growth ; never mind if they don't 

 ask for it until two or three months after potting ; don't give it to 

 them until they do, for they always contain enough moisture to 

 enable them to start, and until that start is made the roots have not 

 begun to grow. When the plants have started into growth they 

 may be watered about once a week, for the first month ; after that, 

 twice, with a good syringing every other evening before shutting the 

 house. This treatment may be continued until the end of August, 

 when the syringe must be laid aside ; after September the watering 

 must not be oftener than once in fourteen days ; from October to 

 March the genera Mammillaria, Echinocactus, Cereus, and most of 

 the Opuntias must be kept quite dry. As the Phyllocacti flower in 

 the early spring, they must get water about once a month during 

 the winter. Epiphyllum and Rhipsalis may be moderately dry, but 

 they will not endure so much drought as their more succulent allies. 

 It is not necessary to pot the plants every season, a? they like to be 

 pot-bound: some do well in the same pot for five or sis years. 

 Should any plant be found to have lost ita roots, or show signs of 

 decay, the infected part should be cut clean out at once, and the plant 

 turned up to the full power of the sun till it begins to show fresh 

 roots, when it may be repotted, and watered with care. This rule 

 of turning the plants up to the sun should be especially attended to 

 with newly-imported plants, as they require all superfluous moisture 

 cleared from them ; their roots should be cut oft", as when dead they 

 act like string, conducting moisture to the plants. To the neglect 

 of cutting ofl' the dead roots I attribute the many failures to grow 

 the Turk's Cap cactus (Melocatus communis), although this species 

 evidently does not increase in size after forming the cap or flowering 

 point, yet it may be kept alive some years. 



Modes of Propagation. — The genera Rhipsalis, Phyliocactus, 

 Cereus, and Opuntia are easily increased by cuttings, which should 

 be taken off in May, and laid in the sun until rooted, when they 

 should be potted and watered carefully ; though Rhipsalis and 

 Phyliocactus may be potted at once, and kept dry about fourteen 

 days, when they will be rooted, and may be watered. Echiuocactus 

 and Mammillaria must be increased by offsets. Echinocactus re- 

 quires the top to be cut off, which must be exposed to the sun until 

 rooted ; the old plant will throw out young ones, which may be 

 taken off the next season. As a rule, the Echinocactus is slow in 

 throwing offsets, and care must be taken not to let the plant get 

 any water until it shows signs of doing so. Patience is a virtue in 

 great demand in the propagation of this section of the order. The 

 slender-growing species are often grafted on stronger and faster 



August. 



