216 J^oticcs of new and beautiful Plants 



the tribe. "We have previously noticed several methods, which 

 have been tried, but we believe the following to be quite new. 

 At any rate, it is deserving of trial. All the echinocactuses 

 and mammillarias, would be much more interesting and imposing 

 in their appearance, growing and blooming upon the tall stalks of 

 the Pereskra aculeata. We know not what could surpass a spec- 

 imen of the E. Eyriesii so managed, with two or three of its 

 snowy blossoms expanded. The pereskia is easy to grow, and 

 may, in a short period, be run up to a large size. The follow- 

 ing is the extract referred to: — 



"Although great success has already resulted from, and great 

 progress has been made in, the practice of grafting various species 

 of Cacteae, on others of stronger and more succulent habits, as well 

 as on stocks of Peresk/a aculeata, there can be little doubt that 

 much yet remains to be done, and many experiments yet remain 

 to be tried, in the interesting subject. Every person, who is at 

 all conversant with floriculture, or who is accustomed to visit 

 the gardens of noblemen, gentlemen or nurserymen, in the spring 

 season of the year, must have been struck with the peculiarly 

 curious and beautiful appearance of many species of Cactefe, 

 which have been ingrafted into other sorts of opposite charac- 

 ters; and by the judicious management of the cultivators in placing 

 weak and slow growing sorts in those of stronger habits and 

 more rapid growth, the great superiority and extraordinary beau- 

 ty of the flowers produced, cannot fail to have been noticed and 

 admired. But, we presume, few persons have yet practised the 

 system we are about to detail, or have yet made the experiment 

 of grafting the different species of Echinoc actus, Mammillaria 

 &.C., on stocks of Pereskia aculeata. This has, however, been 

 effected by Mr. Knight, of Chelsea, and the plants so treated 

 have grown in the most luxuriant manner, and have a very nov- 

 el and highly interesting appearance. To all ])ersons acquainted 

 with the habits of the various species of Echinocactus, INlanmiil- 

 laria, and other cactaceous genera, which do not produce fiat or 

 angular leaf-like stems, but form themselves into spherical heads, 

 it is a well known fact that they produce their roots so scantily, 

 as, in many instances, to be almost entirely destitute of them; 

 and, consequently, the plants make little progress in their growth, 

 and seldom attain to any considerable size: but, treated accord- 

 ing to the system we have just alluded to, the strong and vigo- 

 rous roots of the pereskia supply them most abundantly with nu- 

 tritive matter, and accelerate their growth in a most surprising 

 manner. The mode of practising it is very simple. Having 

 prepared a quantity of stocks of Pereskia aculeata, which have 

 been previously divested of all their branches, and have attained 

 the height of eighteen inches, or two feet, cut the extremity of 

 the stem nearly to a point, and then take species of Mammillaria, 



