BOTANICAL) IX BEX. 
«o 
EPIPHYLLUM. Haworth. 
Fig. 215. EpiphyUum Truncal am. 
IR Joseph Paxton, in his Botanical Dictionary, says: “These splendid flower- 
ing plants are the pride of every well-furnished garden,” but in America 
they are very seldom seen under cultivation. Why this is we cannot tell, for 
they certainly are among the easiest plants grown, and from their unique 
appearance are always attractive. In an English journal of a year ago is an 
account of a botanical writer’s visit to a celebrated English conservatory, 
wherein he describes the fine effect of these plants for bordering the tables and 
benches in the conservatory. The manner of using them was to set plants grown 
on their own roots, and in small pots, on the front of the bench, and immediately 
back of them was a row of larger plants in 4 and 6-inch pots, grafted on stock of 
Pereskia about 6 inches high, which brought them well above those in front, pro- 
ducing a nearly solid mass of bloom. Immediately in front of where we write these 
lines stands one of these plants grafted on Cereus 'triangularis, about 6 inches high, 
which is now a floral treasure. It naturally grows about 2 or 3 feet high, but as 
usually seen under cultivation it is of low, spreading growth, and our plant, which 
is 5 years old, contains 11 separate branches, upon each one of which is now a flower 
or a large and perfect bud; in addition to which are 7 more newly started branches 
with only a single joint, but which next year will probably produce each one a 
flower in addition to the older branches. Unlike most other varieties of Cacti these 
flowers remain in perfection a long times, which is a consideration of importance to 
people whose available space for growing wintering flowering plants in the house 
is of. necessity very limited. 
The most satisiactory mode of growing the Epiphyllum is to graft them upon some 
of the tall or erect-growing Cacti, which is vgry easily and quickly done by simply 
splitting the top of the stock chosen for the standard an inch or two and inserting 
in the fissure one or two of the joints of the Epiphyllum, and holding them in place 
by passing a common pin, cactus thorn, or even a sharp wooden pin through both 
graft and stock and allowing them to remain undisturbed until the graft has firmly 
