THE CACTUS FAMILY. 225 



as to form a cleft an inch or rather more in length, into which 

 a small piece of the Epiphyllum, cut wedge-fashion at the base, 

 is inserted as a scion and secured with bast. An old leaf of 

 good substance, with one or two young ones at its apex, makes a 

 capital-graft. Others cut off the top of the stock in a wedge- 

 shaped manner, and split the base of the scion to fit over it 

 saddle-fashion. Both methods are equally successful. The 

 Cereus speciosissimus makes the stoutest and best stock for large 

 specimens ; and if planted out and trained up rafters or the 

 back wall of a warm conservatory, and grafted all over with 

 different-coloured varieties of Epiphyllums, the effect obtained 

 is very pleasing. To insert grafts in the Cereus stock, a sharp 

 budding-knife is plunged in the side so as to make a clean 

 incision, into which a scion, cut wedge-shaped at the base, is 

 inserted and secured with a spine of the Cereus ; or a slender 

 splinter cut off a deal label answers just as well, no tying 

 being required, the plants being placed in a close case for a 

 week or two until a junction is effected. Scions take well on 

 any of the Opuntias or " Indian Figs," as well .as on all the 

 Phyllocactus, columnar and scandent Cereus, and even on 

 Echinocactus and Echinopsis ; but for all practical purposes 

 Cereus speciosissimus, and Pereskia aculeata, are good stocks. 

 A writer in the 'Deutsche Garten-Zeitung ' for March 1876, 

 recommends Pereskia calandrinicefolia as the best stock for 

 Epiphyllums, and adds that the German florists in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Diisseldorf have used it exclusively for several 

 years. It is as easily propagated as P. aculeata, and makes a 

 stronger growth ; it is thus better able to support the heavy 

 succulent growth of the Epiphyllums grafted upon it than P. 

 aculeata. In short, this stock answers every purpose for which 

 the Cereus speciosissimus is used, and being more woody, it is 

 not so liable to rot off if neglected. 



It is by no means settled which is actually the best stock for 

 Epiphyllums i.e., whether Cereus speciosissimus or the Peres- 

 kias ; and Mr D. E. Fish thus writes on this subject in the 

 'Florist, 3 1869, p. 256: 



"Grafted plants- are the most popular, and the ease with 

 which they will take on almost any stock has also favoured the 

 practice of grafting, while it probably may have prevented us 

 discovering the best possible stock. I believe they will grow 

 on any Cactus, but I have chiefly used only two stocks. The 

 Cereus speciosissimus, while one of our grandest Cactuses in 

 itself, seems formed by nature for a support to all the weak 

 members of its glorious family. It is distinguished by three of 

 the most vital characteristics of a good stock it is strong, it 



