THE CULTURE OF COMMON PLANTS 



In planting seed of annuals, remember not to plant in 

 soggy ground. If planting out in the open, make the surface 

 as soft and fine as possible, and cover each sort of seed to a 

 depth proportionate to its size. Very fine seeds should be 

 merely sown on the surface of the ground, and a fine light, 

 mellow soil sifted over. 



Another word. While these simple annuals will help you 

 to make immediate beauty they must be well treated. Have 

 your soil as thoroughly prepared and enriched as if for per- 

 manent planting. 



And now I wish to make a plea for a decorative plant 

 too little used : the cactus. In the first place the cacti are a 

 very purely American family and worthy of recognition as 

 being among the "early settlers." They have, like other "first 

 families," a peculiar and significant way of making their 

 presence known in society, and yet with proper recognition 

 of their merits there are no members of the floral world more 

 genuinely full of delight for the plant lover than these same 

 cacti. 



Their greatest attraction consists of their curious shapes 

 and odd formations, their many-colored spines, their often- 

 times enormous blossoms of exquisite texture, and subtle and 

 delightful perfume. Not even the wonderful orchid family 

 can offer a greater variety of form than that of the cactus. 

 Some of the largest and most valuable collections of plants 

 in the world are of cacti, whose owners find an almost un- 

 ceasing delight in their collection, so great is their variety, 

 and so unlimited the possibilities for further increase in species 



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