56 



GUIDE TO THE CONSERVATORY. 



CEREUS SPECIOSISSIMUS. 

 Class, Icosandria. Order, Monogynia. 



Opuntiace^;. 

 Native of S. America, 1816. - Propagation, seeds 

 and cuttings. 



SIR, 



According to your request, I send you my me- 

 thod of treating the above plant, which is one of 

 the finest specimens I have as yet seen. I have 

 treated it as under for three years, and the plant 

 has produced about one hundred blooms each year 

 during that time. As soon as the flowering season 

 in over, I repot and place the plant against a south 

 wall, where it remains until September. Whilst in 

 this situation I water it with dung water, and when 

 removed into the greenhouse, I withhold water 

 until the beginning of March, when I give a good 

 watering. At this season of the year several young 

 shoots begin to put forth : these I remove from the 

 main stem as they appear ; this throws strength into 

 the remaining shoots, and causes the flower to be 

 fine. I train in six shoots, and keep to that num- 

 ber, taking care at all times to keep them free from 

 laterals, and lastly to retain the old stems. 



Soil. — Maiden loam, well decomposed dung, 

 peat, and rough sand, to which add a portion of 

 lime craps. 



Drainage. — I cover the bottom of the pots 

 about two inches thick with lime craps* 



