CAiVA DIAX HORTICULTIRISr. 



125 



by tlicir Hat oi- triaii<,'uliir t'oriiis. 'I'lio 

 colors of their (lowers are ciinison, white 

 and pink. They make a -,Mand show, 

 aiul their flowers will last a consider- 

 able time, if kept in the shade and in a 

 rather low temperature during this sea- 

 son. 



Opu7ifias, or prickly pears as they 

 are sometimes called, are round stemmed 

 with flat, oblong branches. Of them 

 there are many species, and many of 

 them are of considerable commercial 

 value. O. Cochinellifera and O. Tuna 

 are those upon which the Cochinea 

 sect is fed, and from which the 

 dye cochineal is taken. There 

 are several other uses they are put 

 to in fancy work, such as l)askets, 

 trays, etc. Two of them are 

 found in our North- West Terri- 

 tories. 



Cereuses are another numerous 

 class, often called the Tree Cacti 

 on account of the great height 

 attained by them. Some reach 

 as high as sixty feet ; some of 

 them run up in straight poles, 

 whilst others branch like a tree, 

 stems are in various forms, 

 riuted and angular. The most commonly 

 known of them are C. McDonaldii and 

 (,'. (Jranditlorus. ]Many of them are 

 night bloomers, flowering only the one 

 night, opening about five p.m. and clos- 

 ing about ten the next morning, some 

 of them very large, measuring as long 

 as twelve and fourteen inches, of the 

 most beautiful and delicate texture antl 

 gorgeous colors. 



yiatuiiiillnrinx may be said to be round 

 balls covered with prickles. 1 he flowers 

 are thrown up from this round ball, but 

 they do not in general attract the sanie 

 attention by their flowers as the former 

 variety does, but their curious shape 

 always attracts attention. They reijuire 

 a rather Ijctter treatment than the 

 other-s, that is to .say not .so much of dry 

 treatment, and a richer soil. 



Echinociirti are very similar to the 

 former in most respects, only they have 

 longer spikes and appear more formid- 

 able than the others. 



Epiphyllums, called Lobster and 

 Crab's-claw Cacti, arc generally found 

 growing on the trunks of tices in their 

 native country Brazil, and they do and 

 look well in a hanging-basket. But 

 they are mostly seen here grafted on 

 the Pereskia stocks and other sorts such 

 as Orandillorus. They are very beauti- 



