176 



GUIDE TO THE CONSERVATORY. 



EPIPHYLLOI TBUNCATDM. 



Class. Icosandria. Order, Monogynia. 



Opuntiace.e. 



Native of Brazil, 1818. — Propagation, cuttings 

 and grafting. 



A charming plant : it requires a stove to flower 

 it during the winter months : it will live in a warm 

 greenhouse, if kept moderately dry during the win- 

 ter. We generally see this plant upon its own 

 bottom, but. to have it in its greatest perfection, it 

 should be grafted upon the pereskia aculeata, or 

 upon the strong growing kinds of cactus ; I prefer 

 the pereskia. The spring is the most proper time 

 for the operation, and any one accustomed to en- 

 grafting will be able to succeed. First, the pe- 

 reskias must be strong plants of two years' growth 

 from cuttings. Cut the stem off the stock in a 

 sloping direction, and make a slit downwards with 

 a sharp knife ; select a narrow part of the scion, 

 and pare the sides to correspond with the thickness 

 of the stock, then cut the stock in a slanting di- 

 rection, and make the tongue to correspond with 

 the down cut in the scion, insert the scion, and 

 tie them tight together with bass, and cover all 

 over with moss, binding it firmly to the grafted 

 part. Remove the moss in about six weeks, but 

 leave the bass a short time longer. 



The soil in which the plant delights is good 

 yellow loam, the turfy part, one year old: add to 



