CACTI AND THEIR CULTURE. < S 5 



Opuntias, which are very numerous, seein to be the coarse members 

 of the cactus family. They are flattened, oval, and round-stemmed, 

 have branches, and make large, heavy plants. The young stems have 

 little growths like leaves, which dry up and drop off when the stems 

 are older. Opuntias sometimes have such an impenetrable growth that 

 they are used for hedges. 0. Arborescens is said to grow in trees in 

 Arizona, and the wood is made into canes and many useful articles. 



Many Opuntias bear fruit resembling figs, which is used as food 

 by the Indians of Arizona. Some Opuntias are covered with long, 

 silvery-white or gray, hair-like spines, bear large, handsome flowers, and 

 are very beautiful. The Epiphyllums, known as "crab's claw cacti," are 

 winter-blooming plants, and to insure a greater number of blossoms 

 should be kept dry from September to November. At other times these 

 species of cacti require plenty of water, and grow better if grafted on 

 Pereskia or some rapid-growing cereus, as they are of pendulous growth. 

 There are many varieties in color red, pink, and purple. The best 

 are Truncatum and Russellianum Gaertneri. The latter is of a scarlet 

 color and very beautiful. Pereskia Aculeata is a plant resembling an 

 orange or lemon tree, as it bears similar leaves and flowers, is used to 

 graft cactus upon, and will stand much more water than a cactus. 



Pilocereus are a very attractive family of cactus, some being very 

 curious, their spines resembling white or gray hairs. The most familiar 

 is P. Senilis. This has a stout, pale green, globose stem, and is covered 

 with long, silvery-white hair, which hangs down, covering the plant, the 

 top resembling the crown of an old man's head. Hence its name of 

 old man cactus. All the Pilocerei are rare and valuable. 



Most of the cacti commonly seen in our gardens belong to the 

 Phyllocactus. These are flat-stemmed, and very profuse bloomers. 

 Many have different-colored stems, which renders them very striking; 

 some are bluish-bronze, some dark red, and others different shades of 

 green. All have crenated edges. The small red ones seen everywhere 

 are Coccineus. Ackermanni bears a very large, bright red flower, with 

 very pointed, wavy petals. The Aurora superbus, raised and named by 

 Mrs. L. 0. Hodgkins, has magnificent scarlet blossoms ten to twelve 

 inches wide. 



The grandest of the many pink varieties is Stenopetalus, which grows 

 into a very large plant and bears a delicately-perfumed flower in nearly 

 every crenature, from 8 to 10 inches wide, of an exquisite shade of salmon 

 pink. The buds are also very beautiful. Roseus Superbus, Speciosa, 

 and Phyllanthoides are all pretty, pink-flowered, with smaller blossoms. 

 Wrayi, Albus Superbus, and many others make handsome plants, and 

 are good bloomers, bearing great numbers of flowers ranging from ten 

 to fourteen inches wide, of creamy white to pure white, and very fra- 



