154 HOT-nOUSE — OF REPOTTING, ETC. \^May, 



ruhens, bright red. E. Achermania has a magnificent large 

 crimson flower. Besides these, there are many superb 

 hybrid varieties, vieing with any of the originals. Among 

 them are the following : E. crinitumj large brilliant crim- 

 son, quite new, of fine habit; E. fulgens^ large violet crimson 

 firmly formed flowers, very desirable; E. Graliamiiy very 

 distinct, of a brilliant rose color; E. sjjecibsa majors large 

 delicate rose. E. Hihhertu, E. Hobdii, E. Boydii^ E. De 

 vduxiij E. qidUardittii, E. Feastiij E. Ydndesiij E. Mayfly^ 

 E. elegantissima, and E. Naiph-'vi, and no doubt many 

 other varieties and sub-varieties will be continually making 

 their appearance. All the Epiphyllum tribe require a very 

 rich open soil, not of too sandy a nature, as they thereby 

 grow to wood, and bloom but sparingly — give plenty of 

 drainage. (Soil No. 18.) 



Opuntias, upwards of fifty species, and are those whose 

 branches are in thick joints, flat, oblong, or ovate; spines 

 solitary or in clusters. Some of the plants are very desir- 

 able for their singular appearance, and some of them, par- 

 ticularly 0. cocliinilliferay are valuable for feeding the Co- 

 chineal insect. 0. microddsys, 0. ferdx, 0. lacte-spina^ 

 O. sericedy and some others, are beautiful plants, and will 

 grow in any kind of soil, but No. 2 will suit them best. 



Pereshias. About four species, and those that are of a 

 shrubby nature, producing leaves; P. aculedta bears a fruit 

 called " Barbadoes-gooseberry.^^ The flowers are very small 

 and simple, spines about half an inch long, leaves fleshy 

 and elliptical. (Soil No. 2.) 



The whole of the plants in the family of Cactese require 

 very little water in winter, and delight in a dry, warm 

 situation. They do not agree with very frequent repotting; 

 once a year to young plants, and in two or three to those 

 that are established, with the exception of the large, free 

 flowering species, which should be repotted once in two 

 years, and never be allowed to shrink for want of moisture. 



The operation of grafting is very simple, merely requir- 

 ing an incision to be made, and fitting in it a fresh cutting 

 of another kind, holding the cutting stationary in the inci- 

 sion half a minute, till the juices of the two adhere together, 

 when it may be said the union is efiected, and, in a few 

 weeks, the new branches will grow freely. We have seen 



