178 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



or spotted by the direct rays of the sun, and, when growing, can take plenty of 

 water as long as the soil is porous and the drainage good ; but remember, that 

 soil kept constantly wet and sodden is certain death to all Cacti, they cannot 

 stand wet feet ; another important point is that large pots are injurious, even if 

 pot-bound they will bloom all the better, and are then benefited by manure 

 water once a week, and syringing or spraying is of great benefit. 



In winter give no water unless they show signs of shrivelling, and even then 

 only in moderate quantities, and it is well to raise the soil higher round the 

 stems so that the water will not lodge about the collar. Cacti can be kept 

 growing all the time, but at a sacrifice of flowers, and the plants get weaker. 

 People say : " My Cacti grow all right, but do not flower," and in nine cases 

 out of ten this is the reason. When at rest they can be kept in a light dry 

 cellar, though a better place is a sunny window in a cool room, a temperature 

 not lower than 50° and seldom higher than 55°, with the sun shining on them, is 

 an ideal place ; therefore the nearer we can get to that the better. They are 

 sometimes propagated by seeds, but it is rather a tedious process for amateurs, 

 but are very easily increased by cuttings, especially of the young growth ; lay 

 the cuttings in the sun for a few days until the cut hardens and forms a callus ; 

 this would be death to the cuttings of almost all other plants, but is necessary 

 for them, as if fresh cuttings are inserted in soil they are certain to rot. Sand 

 or charcoal is generally used for rooting cuttings, and after roots are well started 

 re-pot carefully in better soil, but with a good proportion of sand. The writer 

 has had excellent success in getting a loam from a sandy knoll, by skimming off 

 the grass the light sandy loam under is permeated with fine grass roots, this 

 with some clean sand on top makes an excellent cutting bed, the roots push 

 down to the soil and do not require to be removed so soon with the risk of 

 injuring the roots. Tie the cutting to a plant stake, say, two inches above the 

 lower end, push it down until the cutting is in the sand ; keep shaded and dry, 

 only spraying occasionally, and it is almost certain to grow. For size, beauty, 

 and profusion of bloom, for richness and delicacy of coloring, from scarlet to 

 rose, and pure white, this class of Cacti are unrivalled, excepting perhaps by 

 some of the orchids, and considering that they require less care and attention 

 than a geranium, I cannot understand why they are not more generally culti- 

 vated. The original varieties of this class were not numerous, but by cross 

 fertilization and hybridizing there are now nearly a hundred different kinds ; 

 some are day, others night bloomers ; of the latter the best is " P. Latifrons," 

 or the "Queen Cactus" (see Fig. 769), with pure white flowers, six to eight 

 inches in diameter, with a delicious fragrance. This plant has only one supe- 

 rior, the night-blooming " Cereus (irandiflorus," but " Latifrons " is much more 

 floriferous. 



Cactus Crank. 



