86 Culture of Cdclccc. 



§ 14. It is of great importance for imported Cuctea?, to cut off all the roots, 

 though healthy and strong-looking ; and to clear off whatever is withered and 

 soft (about the plant itself), and cannot be loosened with the fingers, with a 

 sharp knife, without bruising. They must then be left lying for some time, 

 and the cut exposed as much as possible to the sun. When these precautionary 

 measures are not taken, the plant will get rotten from below, and must he put 

 into greater danger by cutting in the healthy flesh, than it can incur when put 

 into the soil with a dry and healed up stump : and, although it may happen 

 that no rotting takes place, it is sometimes the case that the plants will stand 

 for several years without growing in the least ; it being more difficult for young 

 roots to shoot out from the remaining portions of the old roots, than out of 

 the body of the plant itself. 



§ 15. To graft C'acteae is not very difficult; and, though it may appear a 

 mere play, it is not quite that, as there are many sorts of this kind of plants 

 which may be more easily flowered by this method than by any other ; and if 

 we continue these experiments, we may, perhaps, obtain many new flowers. 

 We succeed best in grafting joints of Epiphyllum truncatum, E. Altensteinw, or 

 even Cereus phyllanthoides, upon the stem of Opuntia brasiliensis, the top of 

 which has been cut off; and we get, by such means, plants of surprising beauty, 

 which distinguish themselves by their luxuriant growth and profusion of 

 flowers. Even slender branches of several cereuses will grow easily upon 

 fleshy opuntias, and the process itself is quite a simple one. Take the cutting 

 off somewhat pointed on the lower end, and shove it, freshly cut, into the cut 

 or hole of the plant upon which it is to be grafted ; and wind a woollen thread 

 not too firmly round it ; or, if that should not be easily managed, close the 

 place by plastering grafting wax over it. When it succeeds, so close a union 

 soon takes place, that the graft seems to be a part of the plant itself. The 

 growing of the graft, however, is no proof of the success of the operation, for 

 it often happens that, notwithstanding its growth, no such joining has taken 

 place; and the consequence is, that sooner or later the graft withers, though 

 sometimes not before one or two years. 



§ 16. The propagation of Cacteae by seed is for many sorts of great value to 

 us ; and whenever we have seed, we are pretty sure to succeed. We annually 

 get ripe seed in abundance of a great many sorts, without the least trouble; as 

 of Mammillaria pusilla and simplex, Echinocactus Qttonis, Cereus flagelliformis, 

 and a great many of the opuntias. But these, unfortunately, are sorts which, 

 to grow slowly from seed, is of but little or no interest to us, because we can 

 get them much faster by cuttings in any number we choose. Seeds of some 

 sorts we get only by a careful and artificial impregnation. For this purpose, 

 we take the pollen from a completely unfolded flower with a soft and clean 

 camel-hair brush, and brush it, without force, either upon the stigma of the 

 same flower, or, when it is wished to produce hybrids, upon that of another 

 sort. By these means, we very often get fruits with ripe seeds, fit for sowing. 

 Besides, we are sometimes so lucky as to find ripe fruits on newly imported spe- 

 cimens ; and it is of great consequence, that persons who get such plants from 

 their native countries should carefully examine the living ones of new forms, 

 as well as those that happen to be dead, to see whether they can find any seed 

 on or about them. It has already happened that some unique specimens in 

 Europe have been saved by carefully collecting and sowing both the remainders 

 of the plants, and the dust and dregs of the box. 



§ 17. For sowing, small pots are used, filled with a loose sandy mould, 

 watered previously to sowing; the seed is then strewed over the surface, and 

 either sparingly covered or not with some very fine mould or sand ; then 

 covered with a pane of glass, and placed either in a hot frame, or below a 

 sloping light, in a warm situation. Cactus seeds retain their vitality for 

 several years, and spring generally in about ten or fourteen days after sowing. 

 As soon as the young plants appear, they must be secured against too burning 

 heat of the sun, and potted as soon as possible, either singly or from three to 

 four together, in very small pots. The most dangerous enemies to them are 



