CACTUS 



Culture of Cacti. — To enable one to 

 hope to be fairly successful in the culti- 

 vation of a collection of Cacti, it maj- be 

 well to observe the following sugges- 

 tions : Always endeavor to secure plants 

 in May or early June, as at that time 

 any wounds caused by packing or m 

 transportation become quickly healed, 

 and a perfect callus is formed, which 

 generally prevents further decay. Again, 

 always be sure that the plant is in per- 

 fect condition before it is potted. Plants 

 collected from their native habitats are 

 usually received without roots ; or, if 

 they have roots, they will be found, m 

 most cases, to be so injured that, for 

 the safety of the plant, they would better 

 be taken off close to the plant with a 

 sharp knife. This done, proceed to closely examine 

 the plant, and be sure that every part of it is per- 

 fectly free from all signs of sickness or rot. Plants 

 which have been on the road only a few days may arrive 

 with a certain percentage dead. Such plants undoubt 

 edly looked good while being packed, but a careful 

 examination would have shown them to be unfit for 

 sale. If, on examination, any sign of sickness yr deca> 

 should be found, let the bad parts be at once taken out 

 until healthy tissue is ref.ched, after which place the 

 plants in full exposure to sun and wind, allowing them 

 to so remain until every atom of the treated part has 

 become covered with a dry and perfect callus. It may 

 sometimes be found necessary to use a hot iron where 

 decay is doing very rapid work. When the plant re- 

 ceived is very large and old, or the bottom has become 

 hard, dry and woody, or the roots injured, then at 

 cut off the woody bottom up to living tissue ; and plant 

 only after the wound has been dried thoroughly. Treated 

 thus, the plant will produce, in most cases, an abundant 

 supply of new roots in a very short time, and thus give 

 a virtually young plant ; but if any old, woody part is 

 left on, the chances will be against the forming of new 

 roots. Never take the hard trunk of a plant for propa- 

 gating purposes, but choose the active, growing part, 

 in which the cells are full of life. 



In preparing soil for Cacti, it will be found advisa- 

 ble to use one-half good, fibrous loam and one-half very 

 old lime rubbish, secured from some old, torn down 

 brick building, taking care to sift from it the fine, dusty 

 particles to ensure material of perfect drainage. To 

 this may be added good, clean sand. In potting Cacti, 

 it is generally supposed that a ]>ot as large as the body 

 of the plant is sufficient ; but it is better to select pots 

 of a rather larger size for during the season of growth 

 the plant must be supplied with water and when pots 

 are too small this cannot be done In such case the 

 plant has to depend upon 

 its own resources In the 

 process of potting fill the 

 pot one third with rough 

 lumps of ccke or other 

 uch materi il on the top 

 t whi h pi 1 p 1 lihfral 



ui then 

 o place 

 the cuttings or plants 

 Take care to plant very 

 litlle below the surface 

 1 lire thit the soil is 



I II h dry and carefully 

 I t un from w itering for 

 me time but if the 

 neither is verv warm and 

 bright aven light sMing 

 ing ma^ be „iven once each 

 day If pot are plunged 

 m open ground this light 

 daily s\ ringing will be 

 sufficient until the plant 

 shows signs of growth 



It is a mistake to repot Cacti very often, unless the 

 roots have become infested with mealy bug or other 

 pest. Should this occur, the plant must be turned out 

 of the pot, roots thoroughly washed, and planted in a 

 new pot and in new soil. The condition of the soil in 

 each pot should be constantly and carefully examined, 

 and if the slightest sign of imperfect drainage is mani- 

 fest, the case should receive prompt attention. 



In the summer season, some persons turn their plants 

 out of pots into the open borders. They may do well 

 during the season, but, as there is more or less danger 

 of bruising or injuring them in taking them up from 

 open ground and repotting, the practice is unwise. 

 Avoid inflicting any injury on the plants in the late fall 

 or winter. It will be found a much safer practice to 

 plunge the plants, in their pots, in late spring or as 

 soon as the cold spring rains are over. Any warm, well- 

 drained bed or border may be selected for this purpose, 

 where they may receive sunlight and perfect venti- 

 lation. 



For winter protection, select a naturally damp house, 

 — one with floor sunken two feet or more. It should not 

 be made wet by constant syringing or by a leaky roof, 

 but by keeping the floor of the house damp, thus ren- 

 dering it unnecessary to be constantly watering the 

 plants. Let the temperature of the house be kept as 

 close as possible to 50°, promptly ventilating when the 

 heat begins to increase. Avoid all severe changes. Use 

 as mild a fire heat as possible to be safe from cold. 



Cacti may be propagated from seed, by division of 

 by cuttings or offsets. The most 

 tivi- and permanently successful 

 ■ 1, I'hnits grown in this way will 

 ill iwo ur three years, with a fine 

 1^ whirli will be a permanent source 

 -iii^' ^..•.llings is better than import- 



lli. ii.iii "I I .M ti. There would be 

 r r.ill,.,-iiMii^ ,,( Cacti if persons 

 Iiil; |. hints from seed. The most 



large clumps. 



method is fi 

 furnish the 

 stock of tliri 

 of satisfactii 

 ing the plan 

 to secure a 



