17 : 

 The bed containing this collection of American desert plants is 



and about two hundred species. The families are arranged as 

 follows: the amaryllis family, to which belong the century 

 plants and furcraeas, is confined mainly to the center of the bed, 

 the furcraeas running out to the border on the northern end. In 

 the center of the bed are a few of the. tall columnar cactuses, rep- 

 resented by the genus Cereus. A group of these, as well as some 

 species of the genus Pilocereus, a closely related group, will be 

 found in the southwestern corner. Conspicuous among these are 

 the saguaro, Cereus giganteus, and the rare Cereus Pringlei. The 

 western side of the bed is devoted to a group of the prickly 

 pears, the genus Opuntia, in both the cylindric and flat-stemmed 

 types. In the northwestern corner are a number of plants of the 

 hedge-hog cactus, Echinocactus, already referred to. Here also 

 will be found plants of the turk's-head cactus, Melocactus, on two 

 of which will be found the dark-red spiny cap, which gives to the 

 plant its popular name. It is from this portion of the plant that 

 the flowers and fruits appear. On the eastern side of the bed are 

 the members of the orpine family. In the southeastern corner 

 are the members of the lily family, represented by the genera 

 Yucca, the Spanish bayonet, Dasylirion, Deaucamea and Hesper- 

 aloe. Near by, in the southern end, will be found a single large 

 plant of the genus Foitquieria, which contains five or six species, 

 all American. A small specimen of the desert palm, Neowas/i- 

 ingtonia filifera, also finds a place here. Two much larger spec- 

 imens of the same genus, Neowashingtonia robusta, will be found 

 in house no. 13, on the north side. The pine-apple family is 

 represented by a plant of the genus Dyckia. 



George V. Nash. 



AN OLD LOCUST POST. 

 Not far from the eastern boundary of the Garden there is a 

 leglected family burying-ground about one hundred and fifty 

 'ears old, formerly enclosed by a fence, the posts of which were 

 nade of black locust. A single post about four inches thick 



