M Tf?e ^ardco ar)d I^aLor). ^ 



CACTUS NOTES. 



N these rough notes on Cacti, we have confined ourselves 

 ahnost entirely to our own experience, thinking that the 

 results of our successes or failures would be a better 

 guide to other Canadian amateurs than the more schol- 

 arly treatises of specialists, but we make an exception 

 here, the description of the class Mammillaria in Lewis 

 Castle's book on Cactaceous Plants is so plain, full and 

 accurate, that we make no apology for copying it entire : *' It would be very 

 difficult to find any plant in the whole vegetable kingdom which presents such 

 beautiful examples of symmetry as the Mammillarias, and in their own family 

 they are unique in this respect, for though many of the grotesque Opuntias, 

 Cereuses, and Echinocacti possess larger and more brilliant flowers, and they 

 are surpassed in horticultural value by the Phyllocacti and Epiphyllums, yet for 

 delicacy of design they are unrivalled. A large number of these resemble 

 exquisite pieces of mechanism finished with the greatest minuteness and accuracy, 

 others, again, might be imagined tD have undergone a kind of crystallisation, 

 their whole surface being frosted over with star-like spiculte, arranged with 

 geometrical precision, and others appear as if covered with the finest gossamer. 

 Strangely beautiful indeed are most of the Mammillarias, and in contrast with 

 their neat rosettes or stars of spines, are the rosy yellow and white flowers, 

 which are generally followed by small, berry-like, coral-colored fruits, that, dotted 

 amongst the spines, add another phase to the attraction of these plants. With 

 so much to recommend them, it is not surprising that they have become great 

 favorites with cultivators of cacti, and with that portion of the public who have 

 obtained any knowledge of them." 



Their cultivation is similar to the other round classes : porous soil, contain- 

 ing some lime rubbish, and only sufficient soil to hold their roots properly, the 

 rest being drainage ; full exposure to sunlight ; water sufficient in early summer, 

 scarcely any in winter. 



The Opuntia, commonly known as Indian Fig, has about one hundred and 

 fifty varieties ; they generally have peculiarly oval flattened branches, armed 

 with abundant spines, very easily cultivated, rapid growers and bloomers, they 

 have of late become much more popular, their greatest drawback being their 

 sharp, delicate spines ; the spines of most of the other classes may pierce the 

 skin but leave nothing behind, but it is almost impossible to touch an Opuntia 

 with the bare hands without receiving some of the fine hair-like spines that stay 

 and sting, in other respects no plant can be more satisfactory, hardy, free- 

 blooming, responding well to proper treatment, they will stand a good deal of 

 neglect, in the southern parts of this Province about Ridgetown and Blenheim. 



( 292) 



