466 On the Cultivation and Management of the Cactus tribe. 



years, and it is for this reason that I reject the proportion of peat 

 for them, as being of a vegetable nature it is liable sooner than loam 

 to get sodden ed by the falling of drops, or any imperfection in the 

 drainage ; but this objection is of little consideration for the smaller 

 plants, which may be shifted at all times with safety. For the very 

 succulent and delicate species, I use one third loam, the rest equal 

 portions of sand and pounded "crocks," with the pots half filled with 

 drainage. The general health of a collection of Cacti depends more 

 on a proper system of drainage than on the kind of compost used. 

 Although we use rough pounded crocks in the soil for the use of 

 the roots, and for keeping it in a free open state, we cannot use 

 such very porous materials as crocks for drainage with impunity ; 

 as the delicate fibres of the Cacti delight to insinuate themselves 

 among the drainage, and if this drainage were of a soft porous 

 nature, its dampness would soon destroy them in winter. In a 

 general way rough coal cinders will do well for drainage ; but for 

 particular favourites, equal quantities of pounded oyster-shells and 

 coal clinkers is by far the best drainage that can be used, keeping 

 the finer parts towards the top, to prevent the soil from mixing 

 with the drainage. A layer of moss placed on the drainage for 

 the same purpose, as is done for other plants with advantage, 

 would soon kill the finer sorts of Cacti, and must never be used 

 for them. When I shift these plants I shake off all the old soil 

 from their roots; which is easily done by letting the plant get 

 quite dry before shifting, so that the soil may crumble away by its 

 own weight ; hence the utility of the soil being of an open texture. 

 I then place the roots carefully in the fresh pot and shake the soil 

 gently in among them. The usual mode of watering fresh potted 

 plants, I reverse in this case, and withhold water for several days 

 after potting; in order to let any roots, which may have been 

 broken, have time to dry up, otherwise if moisture were applied to 

 fresh wounds, death might soon be the consequence. Before I 

 adopted this system I lost many valuable plants by watering th?m 



