70 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
which are so abundantly produced on the projecting angles, or ribs of the plants 
now under consideration, is a true and proper bud ; and if any means are used to 
excite it into action, is capable of producing a fresh plant. This being the case, all 
that is required to effect this purpose, is to restrain the growth of the plant in 
height, either by cutting off its summit, or searing it with a red-hot iron ; the 
latter of which practices is perhaps the best, as by it the plant will not be deprived 
of any of its sap or juice, which frequently exudes for a long time after this opera- 
tion has been performed in the former manner. This treatment will speedily cause 
the tufts of spines, that before had appeared lifeless and useless, to form themselves 
into shoots or plants ; and when they have attained to a sufficient size, they may 
be taken off carefully, potted into small pots in a light soil, and, with due attention 
to preserving them from excessive moisture, they will soon produce roots. But 
our object, on the present occasion, is not to state the method by which these plants 
may be propagated, merely for the purpose of growing them in soil ; but that 
plants may thus be produced for grafting on stocks of the Pereskia before named ; 
for where this system is adopted, there will be no necessity for taking plants out 
of the soil for this purpose, and depriving them of their roots, as they will not form 
roots so long as they remain on the parent plant. Where these young plants are 
broken or cut off with care, and grafted on the above-mentioned stocks in the 
manner detailed in a former number, they will adhere to the stock much sooner 
than they would have produced roots if they had been planted in soil, and conse- 
quently will more speedily commence increasing in size, and make much more 
rapid progress afterwards. 
In addition to the directions before given for performing this operation, it may 
be observed that a little moss should be tied round the plant at the junction of the 
graft with the stock ; and this should from time to time be moistened with luke- 
warm water, but by no means so much so as to render it too wet, which would cause 
the graft to rot. When the two plants have become perfectly united to each other, 
the moss may be removed, and it will be found that in addition to to its having 
accelerated the union between the stock and the graft, it will have induced the 
graft to throw out strong and excellent roots, which, if the house in which the 
plants are placed is kept slightly humid, will grow most vigorously, and in process 
of time will twine themselves round the stem of the Pereskia ; thus affording 
nourishment to the graft from the atmospheric elements which they imbibe, and 
contributing to fix it still more firmly on the stock, and preserve it from accidents. 
This is a highly pleasing and interesting circumstance, and tends to prove, what we 
have before asserted, that plants of this description, though they are almost desti- 
tute of roots when planted in soil, will, if placed in moss, produce an abundance 
of strong and healthy roots, and consequently grow much more luxuriantly, and 
attain to a larger size. Indeed, plants grafted in the manner here proposed, will 
not only grow more luxuriantly, but will have a most curious and pleasing ap- 
pearance ; and to all lovers of novelty, as well as to all admirers of this beauti- 
ful tribe, we cordially recommend this system of treating these singular produc- 
