OCTOBER 1, 1915 



HIGH-PEESSUKE GAEDEMNG 



SPIXELFSS CACTUS, ONCE MORE; WHAT OF 

 THE FUTURE? 



By comparing the picture adjoining with 

 the two pictures sliown in our issue for 

 Aug. 15, you will notice the growth in 29 

 days has hardly been equal to that made 

 in nine days the last of July. Very likely 

 the slower growth was due largely to the 

 excessive rain. In fact, it has rained al- 

 most every other day, and sometimes every 

 Ciuii, clear on till near the middle of Sep- 

 tember. We learn from good authority 

 that so much wetness is pretty sure to pro- 



1 sliall pull oil' the new slabs and pack the 

 whole plant so as to take it in my trunk 

 down to Florida. My impression is, these 

 slabs can be kept several days or even 

 weeks without impairing their vitality. In 

 fact, we are told that the slab starts better 

 after being kept out of the ground so as to 

 become somewhat wilted. 



SOJIETHIKG ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SPINE- 

 LESS CACTUS. 



In a recent issue of the Florida Grower 

 appeared an article by Fred N. Burt. Mr. 

 I)urt became enthusia.'^tic about spineless 



'^:^:^ii;'^r-^-'^^. 



The spineless cactus ^pictured on page 601, Aug. 15) 29 days later. Photographed Sept. 2. 



duoe rot; but in order to obviate the effects 

 of so much wetness I dug a ditch or trench 

 and piled the dirt up around the cactus so 

 as to form a sort of pyramid. Tlien I made 

 a ditch to cairy off the surplus water; and 

 1 am inclined to think, especiallv on heavy 

 day soil, like that of our 'ttaikia clay, the 

 cactus should be planted on a ridge, very 

 much as they grow sweet potatoes in the 

 South. So far I notice no tendency to rot. 

 Should frost occur I expect to cover the 

 plant with canvas; and when it becomes se- 

 verely cold, toward the first of Xovember. 



oacti; visited Wyoming, Colorado, New 

 Mexico, Arizona, and California; talked 

 with Burbank liimself and other promoters 

 of cacti; and although Burbank told him 

 he feared it would not succeed in Florida 

 on account of so much rain, he pushed 

 ahead in his project of growing cacti for 

 beef cattle in Florida. He e^•en went so 

 far as to purcliase toward a thousand slabs 

 comprising the best varieties. Below is an 

 extract from what he says about it : 



They were received by nie in splendid condition 

 at DeLeon Springs, Florida, on April 9, 1914, and 



