Fig. 1240. — Tropical Pla.nts in Canada. 



A FINE CACTUS. 



=^E{"iARDIN{"f the cactus, I 

 r\^ might say that twelve years 

 _[ \^ ago I got a small cactus leaf 

 from a friend in Wingham, 

 which I planted. It received very little 

 care or attention, but appeared to thrive 

 well from the start. During the winter 

 months little or no water is given to it, 

 but in summer it is watered freely. It 

 commenced to bloom when seven years 

 old, having about a dozen flowers the 

 first year, and has flowered every year 

 since, and the past summer it contained 



at one time 150 blossoms. During the 

 winter months it is taken into the house 

 and kept in a room with moderate tern 

 perature, but on one or two occasions 

 other house plants that were in the same 

 room, were slightly injured by the frost, 

 but the cactus did not appear to be hurt. 

 In summer it is put out on the lawn, 

 where it is left till late in the fall. It is 

 eleven feet nine inches high, eight feet 

 wide, and the stalk is eighteen inches in 

 circumference. Thos. M.atthie. 



Zuck»07t'. 



409 



