CACTI 71 



be " decorative," in no other class of plants do we get such curious, 

 weird, and fantastic stems, such wonderful arrangements of spines, or, 

 in numerous instances, such lovely flowers. The flowers of the night- 

 flowering Cereus are powerfully fragrant, a foot or more across, rich 

 in colour and exquisitely formed, springing apparently from dried-up 

 branches. In Phyllocactus we get large, rich-coloured flowers springing 

 from the sides of small flat branches, and in Epiphyllum long, waxy, 

 bright-coloured flowers in such profusion as to hide the branches. 

 Cactus culture is a good hobby for beginners. 



Cultivation. In the first instance, though a large house is advisable 

 for anything like a complete collection, from the slow growth of many, 

 little room is required, and large numbers may be grown in a small 

 house ; or if a house is not to be had, a considerable number may be 

 grown in a cold frame, in a glass-case in a room as ordinary winter 

 plants, or, if a warm sunny position can be found, a few may even be 

 grown out of doors. Again, as they are natives of hot, dry, desert 

 regions, they are not so susceptible to injury as many other things if 

 watering cannot be attended to regularly, and they occasionally become 

 dry ; in fact, with a few exceptions, no water at all is required for at 

 least six months of the year. Then again, being of slow growth, re- 

 potting is necessary only at rare intervals. Except in one or two cases 

 which will be mentioned later, the following method of cultivation will 

 be found satisfactory : The majority require a minimum winter tem- 

 perature of from 50 degrees to 55 degrees, rising on sunny days 

 to 60 degrees. During summer no shading should be given, and the 

 temperature, without fire heat, allowed to rise as high as possible, giving 

 a free circulation of air. Throughout the growing season, from the end 

 of April to the end of July, plenty of water will be required at the 

 roots, with medium syringings overhead twice daily. After the later 

 date, water must be gradually withheld, none at all being given after the 

 middle of September throughout the winter. Repotting should only be 

 done when the pots are thoroughly filled with roots, or when the soil 

 seems to be in bad condition. In the latter case, all old soil should be 

 washed from the roots. April is the best time to repot. The compost 

 should have as its principal part good fibrous loam, adding to every five 

 parts one-part of sandstone or broken bricks, crushed to the size of a 

 walnut, and from that size downwards to dust. As small pots as 

 possible must be used, filling them nearly half-full of crocks. Any 

 plants that have well filled the pots with roots should be assisted with 

 occasional applications of weak liquid manure. 



When it can be managed, better results can be obtained by forming 

 a rockery in the house, and planting everything out, and too much can- 

 not be said in praise of this method. In this way they grow much 

 quicker, are more at home, and infinitely more pleasing to the eye than 

 when placed in rows of pots. Many are particularly well adapted for 

 planting in crevices between stones, and grow much better in this way 

 than in pots. 



Propagation may be effected by means of seeds, cuttings, or grafting. 

 Seeds should be sown as soon as received, and when the tiny plants are 



