THE CACTUS FAMILY. 2 19 



until rooted ; the old plant will throw out young ones, 

 which may be taken off the next season. As a rule, the 

 Echinocacti are slow in throwing offsets, and care must be 

 taken not to let the plants get any water until they show 

 signs of doing so ; patience is a virtue in great demand in the 

 propagation of this section of the order. The slender-growing 

 species are often grafted on stronger and faster growers, though 

 care must be taken not to select for a stock one as celebrated 

 for vigour as the scion is for want of it, or your labour will be 



Seedling Echinocacti. 







in vain. As a stock for the smaller-growing Echinocacti, Cereus 

 tortuosus or C. colubrinus is the best ; for the larger, C. peruvi- 

 anus and C. gemmatus. In grafting, care must be taken to cut the 

 two ends rather convex than concave, as they are apt to shrink 

 a little, which would cause a separation, and so spoil the graft ; 

 the scion must be tied firmly to the stock, taking care that the 

 edges meet, or at least one of them. The best plan to insure 

 against accidents is to put three sticks into the pot, and tie 

 them together above the plant, thus causing a continual pres- 

 sure from above." Cereus flagelliformis, or " Rat's-tail " Cereus, 

 does well grafted on one of the slender-growing columnar species 

 or Pereskia aculeata as a stock, and flowers more freely when 

 so treated. " In grafting Opuntia clavarioides you may cut a 

 cuneiform notch in the stock, and cut the scion to fit tightly ; 

 keep them firm with a stick on each side and a thorn run through 

 the graft. Some of the smaller species of Cereus, as C. tuberosus, 

 may be made pointed, with a corresponding hole in the stock 

 in all cases taking care not to disturb the plant when once grafted. 

 When the operation is finished, the plants must then be put into 

 a close frame, and laid on their sides until united, which they 

 will do in about six weeks, when they may be placed upright, 

 and gradually hardened off. Most of the species may be raised 

 from seed, which should be sown as soon as collected, if pos- 

 sible, and put into a temperature of 60. The young plants 

 grow very slowly at first. When potted off they should be^placed 

 near the light. It is best to let them remain in the seed-pot until 

 the following season, as they are very apt to damp if they are 



