402 



On the Management of the Cactus. 



The first flowering plants are put in the forcing-house the end 

 of January, and will come into flower about the middle of March ; 

 when these plants have done flowering, and are removed from the 

 drawing-room or green-house, I prune out most of the old shoots 

 that have flowered, so that the plants are furnished regularly 

 with young shoots for flowering the ensuing year; these plants are 

 also placed in the forcing-house for ten days to ripen the young 

 wood and dry up the moisture, and are then put to rest in the green- 

 house as usual ; such plants will flower a second time in October ; 

 others put in the forcing-house the middle of February, will 

 flower about the end of April : if then pruned and dried and put to 

 rest as before, will flower a second time in November, and so on in 

 proportion. I re-pot them at all seasons whenever the plants may 

 require it, always observing to keep the pots well drained with 

 pot-sherds, that the moisture may pass off readily ; this process 

 may be considered troublesome, but superior growth and abun- 

 dance of flowers amply repay the care bestowed. By the above 

 treatment, the Cactus speciosus and Jenkinsoni have generally 

 produced from ninety to a hundred fine expanded flowers at one 

 year old. The plants that I brought to the Society were about two 

 years old, the C. speciosus bore two hundred flowers, C. speciosis- 

 simus seventy-two, and C. Jenkinsoni one hundred and ninety-four. 

 I prefer growing them in wooden tubs with wire stakes fixed to the 

 tub, to the usual mode of supporting them by stakes driven into the 

 ball of the plant which I consider injures the fibre and makes the 

 plant appear unsightly. 



I am, Sir, your very obedient Servant, 



John Green. 



Note by the Secretary. 



The Society's Banksian Medal was awarded for the Cacti al- 

 luded to in the foregoing communication. The specimens were of 

 most unusual beauty. 



