CACTUS 



CACTUS 



205 



Culture of Cacti.— To enable one to 

 hope to be fairly successful in the culti- 

 vation of a collection of Cacti, it may be 

 well to observe the following sugges- 

 tions : Always endeavor to secure plants 

 in May or early June, as at that time 

 any wounds caused by packing or in 

 transportation become quickly healed, 

 and a perfect callus is formed, which 

 generally prevents further decay. Again, 

 always be sure that the plant is in per- 

 fect condition before it is potted. Plants 

 collected from their native habitats are 

 usually received without roots ; or, if 

 they have roots, they will be found, in 

 most cases, to be so injured that, for 

 the safety of the plant, they would better 

 be taken off close to the plant with a 

 sharp knife. This done, proceed to closely examine 

 the plant, and be sure that every part of it is per- 

 fectly free from all signs of sickness or rot. Plants 

 which have been on the road only a few days may arrive 

 with a certain percentage dead. Such plants undoubt- 

 edly looked good while being packed, but a careful 

 examination would have shown them to be uniit for 

 sale. If, on examination, any sign of sickness or decay 

 should be found, let the bad parts be at once taken out 

 until healthy tissue is re?.ched, after which place the 

 plants in full exposure to sun and wind, allowing them 

 to so remain until every atom of the treated part has 

 become covered with a dry and perfect callus. It may 

 sometimes be found necessary to use a hot iron where 

 decay is doing very rapid work. When the plant re- 

 ceived is very large and old, or the bottom has become 

 hard, dry and woody, or the roots injured, then at once 

 cut off the woody bottom up to living tissue ; and plant 

 only after the wound has been dried thoroughly. Treated 

 thus, the plant will produce, in most cases, an abundant 

 supply of new roots in a very short time, and thus give 

 a virtually young plant ; but if any old, woody part is 

 left on, the chances will be against the forming of new 

 roots. Never take the hard trunk of a plant for propa- 

 gating purposes, but choose the active, growing part, 

 in which the cells are full of life. 



In preparing soil for Cacti, it will be found advisa- 

 ble to use one-half good, fibrous loam and one-half very 

 old lime rubbish, secured from some old, torn down 

 brick building, taking care to sift from it the fine, dusty 

 particles to ensure material of perfect drainage. To 

 this may be added good, clean sand. In potting Cacti, 

 it is generally supposed that a pot as large as the body 

 of the plant is sufficient ; but it is better to select pots 

 of a rather larger size, for during the season of growth 

 the plant must be supplied with water, and when pots 

 are too small this cannot be done. In such case the 

 plant has to depend upon 

 its own resources. In the 

 process of potting, fill the 

 pot one-third with rough 

 lumps of coke or other 

 such material, on the top 

 of which place a liberal 

 supply of finely broken 

 crockery. Now add the 

 soil, taking care to put the 

 coarsest soil directly on 

 top of the crocks, and then 

 the finer, on which to place 

 the cuttings or plants. 

 Take care to plant very 

 little below the surface. 

 Be sure that the soil is 

 fairly dry, and carefully 

 abstain from watering for 

 some time ; but if the 

 weather is very warm and 

 bright, a very light syring- 

 ing may be given once each 

 day. If pots are plunged 

 in open ground, this light 

 daily syringing will be 

 sufficient until the plant 

 Opuntia. shows signs of growth. 



308. Leaf-like branches of Opuntia — Opuntia, or Nopalea, 

 coccinellifera, the cochineal plant. 



It is a mistake to repot Cacti very often, unless the 

 roots have become infested with mealy bug or other 

 pest. Should this occur, the plant must be turned out 

 of the pot, roots thoroughly washed, and planted In a 

 new pot and in new soil. The condition of the soil in 

 each pot should be constantly and carefully examined, 

 and if the slightest sign of imperfect drainage is mani- 

 fest, the case should receive prompt attention. 



In the summer season, some persons turn their plants 

 out of pots into the open borders. They may do well 

 during the season, but, as there is more or less danger 

 of bruising or injuring them in taking them up from 

 open ground and repotting, the practice is unwise. 

 Avoid inflicting any injury on the plants in the late fall 

 or winter. It will be found a much safer practice to 

 plunge the plants, in their pots, in late spring or as 

 soon as the cold spring rains are over. Any warm, well- 

 drained bed or border may be selected for this purpose, 

 where they may receive sunlight and perfect venti- 

 lation. 



For winter protection, select a naturally damp house, 

 — one with floor sunken two feet or more. It should not 

 be made wet by constant syringing or by a leaky roof, 

 but by keeping the floor of the house damp, thus ren- 

 dering it unnecessary to be constantly watering the 

 plants. Let the temperature of the house be kept as 

 close as possible to 50°, promptly ventilating when the 

 heat begins to increase. Avoid all severe changes. Use 

 as mild a fire heat as possible to be safe from cold. 



Cacti may be propagated from seed, by division of 

 large clumps, and by cuttings or offsets. The most 

 interesting, instructive and permanently successful 

 method is from seed. Plants grown in this way will 

 furnish the grower, in two or three years, with a fine 

 stock of thrifty plants which will be a permanent source 

 of satisfaction. Raising seedlings is better than import- 

 ing the plants from their native habitats if one desires 

 to secure a fine collection of Cacti. There would be 

 many more amateur collections of Cacti if persons 

 would start by raising plants from seed. The most 



