171 



THE SUCCULENT HOUSE. 



Until within the last few years, succulent plants have had few admirers 

 in this coiintr}^, since the days of Dillenius, and Lee the founder of the 

 Hammersmith nursery. The names of Haworth, Hitchen, Eichardson, 

 and the present venerable curator of the Chelsea gardens, will be immor- 

 tahzed as being the means of retaining in this country a section of plants 

 both curious and splendid, and it gives us pleasure to state that this in- 

 teresting family is again beginning to attract the attention of the cultivator. 

 It is true, the Orcliidece is at present its principal rival, but the trouble 

 and expense of cultivating the latter, when compared with the former, will 

 be always a barrier to their general introduction. 



The most valuable collections in England, with which we are acquainted, 

 are those at Claremont, Kew, Yv^oburn Abbey, Walton, Chelsea Botanical 

 Gardens, i\Ir. Palmer of Shacklewell, and IMackay of Noi-wieh. At 

 Claremont, above nine hundred species are cultivated ; and at Wobum, 

 the collection of Cactus amounts to about three himdred species. 



So httle is yet known in this country of the splendour of the flowers of 

 many species of Cactus, excepting by description, that we need not par- 

 ticularize any by name, only observing, that few plants we know of can 

 be compared to the Cactus (but more properly Cereus) speciosissimus, Cerevs 

 grandiflora, Cactus, or EpipJiyllum speciosum, and many hybrids originated 

 in the gardens of this countr^^ The other families of succulents that are 

 conspicuous for fine flowers are Talinum, Mesemiryanthemum, Crassula, 

 Rochea, Kalosanthes, and Euphorhia. 



Succulent plants in general are capable of being cultivated in situations 

 where few other exotic plants would live, and require much less labour 

 and attention ; they require seldom to be re-potted, and many of them 

 will exist a long time and without water, without sustaining injury. Few^ 

 of the tenderest of them mil suffer in a temperature as low as forty-five 

 or fifty degrees ; thus they require little artificial heat, if the house 

 they are kept in is w^ater-tight. Such, therefore, renders them, of all 



