APRIL 289 



in it fashion is unknown. Plants are handed down from 

 father to son, with a total disregard as to whether these 

 are fashionable or not. For a lengthened period Cac- 

 tuses have been a neglected family. Just lately magnifi- 

 cent groups have been exhibited by London nurserymen, 

 so they are fast coming to the front again. 



Since writing my last book, I have learnt by experi- 

 ence a good deal more about Cactus culture. In this 

 country they require a kind of double treatment, accord- 

 ing to whether you want them to grow or to flower. If 

 you want small pieces to grow quickly, you must keep 

 them most of the year in heat and well watered. If, on 

 the other hand and this especially applies to the hardier 

 kinds you want them to flower, you must starve them 

 well through the winter. But I am sure that allowing 

 them to shrivel from want of water is wrong. To 

 prevent this, once the year is turned, I find occasional 

 syringing better than much watering at the roots. Over- 

 watering in winter generally means death, as they then 

 rot at the crown. Sun they must have all through the 

 summer. They are apt to be affected by a fungus blight; 

 this must be cleaned off, of course. Like all the dis- 

 tinct plant families in nature, the more we know about 

 Cactuses the more interesting they are. I have a new 

 sunny window which I am looking forward to filling 

 with Cactuses this summer. I have there now, in a 

 small pot, a red Phyllocactus (see Mr. W. Watson's 

 'Cactus Culture'), which has upon it two or three flow- 

 ers in bloom and fifty -two buds. One of my correspond- 

 ents was exceedingly sceptical about the same bloom of 

 my night -flowering Cereus (see page 121 of my first 

 bock) having lasted in a cool, dark hall for two nights ; 

 but it certainly did. Last year I was away from home 

 all the precious summer months, so I do not know what 

 happened to the 'bright -blooming Cereus, grand and 



