CACTUS CULTURE 

 FOR AMATEURS. 



Chapter I. 

 INTRODUCTION. 



THE Cactus family is not as popular with English horticulturists 

 in these days as it was formerly, scarcely a dozen species out of 

 about a thousand known being included among favourite garden 

 plants. It is not, however, very many years ago that there was 

 something like a Cactus cult. 



" About the year 1830, Cacti began to be specially patronised 

 by several rich plant amateurs, of whom may be mentioned the 

 Duke of Bedford, who formed a fine collection at Woburn Abbey, 

 the Duke of Devonshire, and Mr. Harris, of Kingsbury. Mr. Palmer, 

 of Shakelwell, had become possessed of Mr. Haworth's collection, 

 to which he greatly added by purchases ; he, however, found his 

 rival in the Rev. H. W lliams, of Hendon, who formed a fine and 

 select collection, and, on account of the eagerness of growers to 

 obtain the new and rare plants, high prices were given for them, 

 ten, twelve, and even twenty and thirty guineas often being given 

 for single plants of the Echinocactus. Thus private collectors 

 were induced to forward from their native countries chiefly from 

 Mexico and Chili extensive collections of Cacti." * 



The popular belief with respect to Cacti is that they are stiff 

 and wanting in beauty, remarkable only in that they are exceedingly 

 curious in form. It is true that only few of them possass any claims 

 to gracefulness of habit or, when not in flower, would answer to our 

 present ideas of beauty with respect to the plants we cultivate. 

 Nevertheless, the stems of many are attractive on account of their 

 strange, fantastic forms, their spiny clothing, the absence of leaves, 

 except in very few cases, and their singular manner of growth. 



* J. Smith, the first Curator of the Eoyal Gardens, Kew. 



