THE GARDEN BOOK OF CALIFORNIA 



and special development of individual plants. The fact that 

 their care is of a simple nature and that their beauty increases 

 with age is also in their favor. 



During the life of Henry Shaw, that eminent flower lover 

 of St. Louis, the study of the cactus family and its avail- 

 ability in fine gardening effects was given a great impetus by 

 the magnificent collection of Mr. Shaw. I can recall spend- 

 ing many days, when a child, wandering about among the 

 weird and curious forms of the three thousand cacti then in 

 this great private collection. At Mr. Shaw's death this gar- 

 den was left to the State of Missouri, and is now cared for 

 by trustees as a great botanical garden to which many people 

 have easy access, the garden being maintained by large be- 

 quests from Mr. Shaw's great fortune. 



A number of fine private collections of cacti are found 

 in California. Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco, makes 

 a good showing. The Arizona garden in Monterey is popu- 

 lar with travelers. At Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Coronado, 

 and San Diego, as well as in Los Angeles, are several inter- 

 esting small private collections. At Riverside in a public 

 park is a unique arrangement of cacti. C. R. Orcott of San 

 Diego has been for years an original investigator and collec- 

 tor of the cactus in its native haunts, and has in his private 

 collection probably twelve hundred species. Mr. Orcutt has 

 also been engaged for some time in adding to the great col- 

 lection of E. W. Scripps at his great country residence at 

 Miramar, the money value of which would run up into thou- 

 sands of dollars. The residence of Mr. Scripps is built in 



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