384 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



December, 1906 



The Old Man (C. Senilis) 



West Indian Turks Cap Cactus 



Numbered among the group known as Cereus are many bears large white blossoms, which are deliciously fragrant, 

 interesting species. First and foremost must be mentioned and the strange part about these flowers is that they do not 

 the giant of the whole family C. giganteus, a native of the expand until between eight and ten o'clock in the evening, 



Mexican deserts. As this plant under natural conditions will 

 grow to the height of eighty or ninety feet it may be 

 imagined that really large examples are out of the question 

 in glass-houses. The Old Man (C. senilis) is a species 

 always worth growing, as the plant itself is an object of 

 great beauty at all times. A fine example of this variety is 



while they are quite over by three the next morning. Thus 

 each particular bloom does not at the most last more than six 

 hours, and is not to be seen except in the dusk or by artificial 

 light. 



The propagation of Cacti from seed is one of those things 

 which require an immense amount of patience. Most of 



thickly covered with silken hair which strongly resembles these plants are naturally slow growers, and the time needful 

 the white locks of an old man. The most interesting of all to produce a flowering-sized plant from seed would in many 

 the kinds which go to make up the genus Cereus is the species be as much as the span of a man's life. Most people 

 "Queen of the Night" (C. grandiflorus) , a plant which in will prefer to adopt the method of raising fresh plants from 

 habit is one of the most curious in the world. This species cuttings, and this is a very simple matter indeed. Practi- 

 cally any healthy portion of a 

 Cactus will grow, and at almost 

 any time of the year, if it be 

 placed in some sandy soil and 

 kept in a moist condition. Fairly 

 large plants can be grown in a 

 short time. The writer pro- 

 duced a splendid Phyllocactus 

 albus, which blossomed magni- 

 ficently in three years. Of 

 course this may seem to be a 

 long time, but it is really a very 

 short period in the life of a 

 Cactus. 



A charming hobby, and one 

 which is largely followed by 

 German ladies, is the collection 

 of miniature Cacti. As has been 

 mentioned any part of a Cactus 

 will take root, and this habit 

 has been turned to account. 

 Very small pieces of the succu- 

 lent stem are rooted and then 

 placed in tiny pots, scarcely so 

 large as a thimble. With a lit- 

 tle care not to over-water, these 

 dainty plants will not increase 

 rapidly in size, and yet will re- 

 main in a healthy condition, 

 although they will not flower. 



A Huge Specimen 



A Giant " Old Man " Cactus 



