190 
THE GARDENERS’ 
GIANT CACTI AT KEW. 
Some interesting additions have recently been 
made to the collection of Cacti cultivated at Kew, 
In 
rly half a ton. It flowered 
it may be reasoned that these large examples are 
probably hundreds of years old. Flowers are only 
developed on large plants; се а about 2 inches 
long and wide, and are succeeded by cone-shaped 
fruits 3 inches long, filled with aai black Onion- 
The jaice of the stems is said to serve 
as a substitute for water when the latter is scarce, 
and i ave been known among the white 
trappers, where the lives of men have been 
plant. The 
| the 
practised, the Indians do not trouble to carry this 
“boiler about with them, but make a fresh one at 
stage of their journeyings, 
still larger species than this is E. Visnaga, of 
which a very fine example was obtained for Kew 
years ago. Shortly after its arrival, it was describ 
and figured by Sir William aem in the Z//ustrated 
London News. It was 9 fi high, and а yard in 
diameter, its weight biis. m а ton. It lived 
only a year or two, very large stems of Cacti being 
evidently bad to transport and re-establish, even in 
gardens near where they grow wild. 
Opuntia arborescens, the A Cactus, is 
represented in the group by tw specimens, one on 
each side of the elegant Sedge-lik Restio subverti- 
| is Cactus 
ing numerous cylindrical branchlets, remarkable 
for their ohig tubercles and tufts of long needle- 
like s each 
many years, There are examples in the museum at 
Kew, and also specimens » walking-sticks made 
from the stems of this 
rt spines, is represented by two fine 
species ineluded in this group 
2 Cere us i us Pringlei, a near 
the Colonial and — 
Exhibition, and seine came to Kew, м dadas 
lection of Cacti now at Kew is richer in species than 
t ever was, and considering the large size of t 
house in which they are they are in good 
health. John Smith records that in 1839 a number 
of plants of Cereus senilis were introduced by а trader 
and sold at six чен each. What а different story 
Mr. Sander of S 
plants si 78 same Cactus to the auction rooms last 
week, а ould not get a bid for one of them; they 
were preven bought to be distributed from Kew at 
the absurd price of 2s. each, A dozen plants of the 
recently-certificated Echi t were bought 
at the same price, The — M: Cactus Society 
may in time work up an interest in Cacti among 
English aptae nsi are шын out of 
favour now, W. W. 
KEW NOTES. 
Dropar Ѕтвоск BY LiourNING АТ Kew.— One of 
the finest Deodars at Kew, between the Palm-house 
and the temperate-house, was struck by lightning on 
Saturday evening last. The trunk is riven into 
large fragments, nir d that the disruptive force 
must have been enorm 
BEGONILAS AT Kew, 
After the heavy storm of Saturday last, and the 
drenching showers which have occurred since, it is 
pleasing to notice that the beauty of the small beds 
of Tuberous Begonias near the Show-Bonse, No. 4, 
is not at all impaired. Оле bed consists of 
Taberous Begonias of mixed colours, pink and white 
predominating. This is a very beautiful bed, 
ually good are the beds of B. semperflorens rosea, 
В, Crimson Gem, and B. Woithiana. 
HUNNEMANNIA FUMABIIFOLIA. 
Pag is one of не me x T in the m rockery 
It (gne 
ovis m 18 Tobi or yy 
glaucous very deeply divided iw and large 
shaped canary-yellow flowers. It is a Г ot 
Mexico, In a sheltered situation it 8 7 m а 
fine plant for a bed, but as we learn from 
it is not quite "se enough to stand full eit 
to wind and rai 
Soranum WENDLANDI 
It is very remarkable how slow is the diffusion in 
the magnificent creeper aboy: 
grown at Ke 
has been 
ew, both in the Suceulent-house and in 
um Mut; A мать Thousands upon thousands 
ave red its ample panicles of large 
аа-а 1 which remain in beauty fo 
“з yet we cannot call to mind ever 
п а private establishment. It w 
figured in our nbn September 16, 1893, but de 
flowers are often larger than those there shown. 
HOME GCORRESPONDENGE, 
DUKE posait . —1 grew a few pl 
of tee Er дине year, and а few plants 
TABLE DECORATIONS WITH CUT R8, 
ETC.—Mr. Е. W. e's strictures in your last issue, 
with reference to the floral arran пешеп of dinner 
r to despair 
decorations are ladies, 
T, М, Bulke zk Owen 
judges of table floral 
with & butler as assistant. 
——- Mr, F. W, Seale's 
of table decoration ns 
Gardeners 
remarks on 
; at flower shows 
Chronicle of August, 10, р. 160, a are че 
the dodging 
CHRONICLE. 
[Aveusr 17, 1895, 
— — 
the point, we I hope that the subject will be well 
threshed ou 
h 
jue to all exhibitors, tbe greatest my should be 
to select judges who have proved themselves 
ah of judging of «dein үзүү ons, If we are 
tain a high standard of excellence in this 
beautiful work, the skilful and artistie decorator 
must not be driven out of the гош peti R, 
Potter, St, Clere Gardens, Kemsing, Sevenoaks, 
TOMATOS. — Tomato-growing in чә North 
appears p э greatly 9. rige increase, not in market- 
gardens y, but i any private establle 
э Эн аге nii as 8178200 as any other culinary 
high price compared 
ooking fruit command a ve 
= A d bright 
with irregular Bes d Ne size. A goo 
eic is W noticed by purchasers. 
erally there are Д п 
e fom year 
ea са 
ved, 
hats atood nk test as w 
ties, Frogmore Selected takes a prominent position, 
It did well i S this garden for peni 2 that is, 
from the e s now in good 
condition " а Lise rut uiter. 
Few 
fo gen are close re they 
are large and firm, M. Т, Carron, Stirlingshire 
G8 DESCENDING (see Garde ners Ci 
Kip 10, p. 160).— The follow 
will, I think, be oR i e à 
letter i is character istic 2 " кени courtesy, 8П 
patient attention to deta 
Он pea DARWIN, Esq , F.R S., has 
-I have observed that эй small white slug ber 
of descending head ` gem bym 
a thread of slime: from branch or leaf o 
ouse here, 
appears to have 
ing it in to a thread as it desce nds, I shall e 
w. R., Sept 6, 18817 
* Down — Sept. 7, 1881, 
“ Dear Sir,—I К D A pev kind 
written to me. mory is not so 
am nearly оса Кя І have read of slugs 
man пег = cribed, but not 
to you. Iam, Sir, Yours, &с, 
cupied with 
your oblig ing offer of sending me living speci 
possible that the slug 
wn) to Nature; published by Macm 
win my thanks, I remain, dear sir, yours 5 тт 
Vines in preference {о с awling down their 
тети, but that — could pher ascend а few in 
а moist and war 
"мен 
ҮНҮН 
„ 
