ON 1 THE CULTURE OF CACTf. 61 



place them in some open place in the garden, exposed to the full 

 influence of sun and air, and let them remain in that situation till the 

 autumn, when take them under cover again : if they want shifting, do 

 it. I do it at all times according as they require it, although the 

 latter part of the autumn or in the winter appears as good as any. 

 When you have got them all housed, water must be kept rather 

 sparingly from them, regulating the proportion of its application to 

 the temperature of the house the plants are in ; if in the common 

 greenhouse, once a fortnight will do very well, just to keep them from 

 withering. As summer, or rather spring approaches, let them he 

 plentifully supplied with water, with occasional syringing, which adds 

 much to their vigorous growth. The Rhipsalis, Pereskia, and some 

 Cereuses will bear much more water than many others. During the 

 blooming season they must be rather plentifully supplied with water, 

 and after blooming be treated as before stated. 



The best soil for them I find to be the following : — one part of 

 sifted decomposed dung, one part light turfy loam, one-third good 

 decomposed sheep dung, one -third sandy peat, with the addition of 

 a little white sand if the peat is not enough. 



Give the pots a good drainage of potsherds, or they sodden during 

 their exposure to the open air. When you repot, shake off all the old 

 soil, that the roots be all entirely free from the old soil ; cut 

 ofT all dead or decaying roots, and do not use the pots too large, 

 thirty-two's or twenty-four's being sufficient for large plants. Be 

 careful in repotting the plants not to press the soil hard round the 

 roots, the better way being to rap the pot on the potting-board to set 

 the soil firm. 



I ought to have stated to cut out most of the old flowering shoots, 

 so that they are regularly furnished with young shoots. By adhering 

 to the above practice your Correspondent will not fail to have good 

 plants and plenty of bloom. 



J. G. states the Cacti grow abundantly 'on the borders of the Nile ; 

 he is mistaken there. The genera " Cereus," Opuntia Mamillaria, 

 arc frequently found on the most sunny and hot plains of the West 

 Indies, and other similar places ; while the other genera are natives 

 of the colder regions of Mexico and Chili. Such will thrive exceed- 

 ingly well in u common temperature, as that of an orange-house, &c. 



