12 



CACTUS CULTURE FOR AMATEURS 



is over ; and in winter a little water should be given at intervals 

 of a week. 



Seeds are sometimes produced by cultivated Cacti, and it is 

 worth while to encourage them to do this by pollenating the flowers 

 of plants of which stock is desired. Some species are capable of 

 self-fertilisation ; still, it is always as well to give them assistance. 

 The night-flowering species must, of course, be fertilised either 

 at night or very early in the morning. A number of hybrids have 

 been raised in gardens, particularly of Epiphyllum and Phyllocactus, 



rig. 2. Seedlings of Cereus. 



a, Ort? moivth after germination. 6. T o months alter germination, 

 c, Three months after germination. (Magnified ,'ix times.) 



and crosses between Epiphyllum and Phyllocactus and Ccreu* 

 /lagelb'formis and C. speciosissimus have been bred artificially. 

 The whole order offers a very good field for the hybridist. 



Cuttings. 



The stems of Cacti strike root freely in a warm temperature. 

 We have already seen how, even in the dry atmosphere of a 

 museum, a stem of Cereus emitted roots and remained healthy 

 for a considerable time. Cactus experts do not hesitate when 

 large-growing specimens get too tall for the house in which they 

 are grown to cut off the top of the stem, even to a length of 

 6 feet or 8 feet, to form a new plant, whilst the beheaded stem is 

 kept for stock, as it often happens that just below the point where 



