120 On the CiiUivation of E'piphyllum Riissell\h.\\\\m, etc. 



exhibited last summer at the Hall of the Mass. Hort. Society, 

 with eleven buds and blossoms, has now thirty buds, and, 

 from the strength of the plant, they will probably all come to 

 perfection ; my own beautiful seedling between C. speciosissi- 

 mus and Ackermdnni seems pushing out buds from almost 

 every notch. E. truncatum, long since out of blossom, was a 

 complete mass of flowers. 



The first requisite is complete drainage of the pot ; with 

 the soil, which should rather be rich than poor, mix a little 

 powdered charcoal, and some, not much, old lime rubbish. I 

 think this latter useful, as my cultivation depends mainly on 

 Guano water, from which the lime sets the ammonia at liber- 

 ty, while the charcoal absorbs, (stores up), and thus prevents 

 the loss of what is not immediately used by the plant. The 

 chief principles after this are to keep the plants warm, with 

 as much light as possible, but nearly altogether dry during 

 their hybernation or period of rest, and to water them plenti- 

 fully, during their period of growth and flowering, with Guano 

 water ; when the flowers begin to fade, then commence b};" 

 degrees withholding water. For instance, Epiphyllum trunca- 

 tum finished blooming the end of January, its period of rest 

 begins, it is now quite dry, and hangs up close under the 

 glass ; in this state, the thermometer occasionally at 38 Fah. 

 does not injure it. Thus it will remain until the end of 

 March, when it will receive plentiful watering once a week 

 only. About the middle or end of April, it will swell up, and 

 in a fortnight or three weeks from that time, young leaves will 

 appear ; then I shall begin with Guano water, twice or three 

 limes a week : the phyllous stems will soon become large, and 

 dark green ; should the Guano stimulate a second crop of 

 these, pick them off" without mercy; towards winter again 

 water will be given sparingly till the buds appear. I have 

 not changed the soil of my Cacti for three years. This plan 

 is pursued with all. With respect to E. Russelliawzmi, now 

 in fine bloom with me, I observed, at the period of the first 

 appearance of the buds, that a number of the phyllous stems 

 pushed forth their little red noses, not only from the terminal 

 stem but also below : these were immediately pinched clean 

 out with the finger and thumb nail ; in many cases flower 

 buds sprang out near the same spot. 



