2 
H. CANNELL & SONS’ LIST OF CACTI. 
only bloom at very indefinite periods. This is quite erroneous. If by our humble efforts we 
are successful in raising in the reader’s mind a desire to penetrate and examine for himself the 
mysteries of Cactus culture, which will cause him to procure a small, carefully-assorted repre- 
sentative collection of the plants in question, he will be amp.y rewarded for his outlay of money 
and time by a wealth of gorgeous bloom from January to December. To give an idea of the 
average quantity of bloom carried by these plants under proper treatment, a well-grown plant 
of the genus Kpiphyllum, in a 5-inch pot, will carry loo blooms or more; a correspondingly 
good specimen of the genus I’hyilocactus, in a 7-inch pot, will in its season annually present us 
with from 60 to 70 magnificent flowers, each of which measuring from 8 inches to i foot in 
diameter, according to the variety. Another charm associated with these curious plants is the 
vast amount of interest which, with a comparatively small amount of trouble, can be aroused 
from the process of grafting one variety on to another of a different genus. This operation, 
when nicely performed, will result in some most peculiar productions. It is resorted to not only 
for a love of the grotesque, but for the reason that some weak-growing sorts are liable to rot off 
at the base during the period of our usually foggy, damp winters. These, when grafted on to a 
variety of stronger growth and habit, will grow away without showing any signs of decay. The 
amateur, as a rule, has but little time to devote to the requirements of his floral pets, and with 
this fact in mind we may confidently assume that no plant other than a Cactus will so well repay 
the small amount of labour expended on it by its grower. For want of space we are debarred 
from giving any cultural notes in these pages other than a mere synopsis of the general require- 
ments of the family. A word on propagation at this stage will no doubt go far to convince the 
reader of the simple requirements of the Cactus in that respect. Propagation may be effected, 
according to the genus to be operated upon, by both seeds, cuttings, and decapitation, or by 
detaching the young growths from the parent stock. This is an exceedingly interesting branch 
of their culture. The peculiar natural construction of the stems of Cacti enables them to live 
for an amazing length of time without water — in fact, the plants constituting some genera do not 
require any water at all from the middle of autumn until the following spring. This fact alone 
should commend them to the attention of amateurs. They appeal also to the gentler sex by 
reason of the adaptability of many varieties to culture in window cases. Those varieties which 
are nearly hardy in this country are very interesting when well grown, a nice assortment of 
them planted on a sunny rockwork forming a very attractive subject. The climbing varieties 
are suitable for training over the back walls of heated glass structures, and grown either in that 
manner or twined round supports or posts form a refreshing feature from the monotony of more 
commonly cultivated plants. The fact that the plants which form the subject of these pages 
are children of the tropics must be borne in mind at every stage of their cultivation in this 
country to ensure, as nearly as possible, those genial surroundings and natural temperature 
which they enjoy in their habitat. There are altogether some 800 varieties of Cacti, duly 
arranged in about 14 genera, and the only way to arrive at success in their cultivation, without 
trusting to chance, is to write to a worthy nurseryman who makes a specialite of these plants, 
advising him of your facilities for culture, and leaving entirely to his discretion the selection of 
such varieties as he considers are suited to your requirements. To those readers who intend 
forming a collection of Cacti or Succulent plants, large or small, we say, write to Messrs. H. Cannell 
& Sons, the well-known horticultiiralists of Swanley, Kent, who are reputed to possess the largest 
collection of these quaint plants in England. It may be a matter of passing interest to some 
readers to know that the berries of some varieties of Cactus are used in medicine as remedies for 
bilious and other complaints, also that carmine colouring matter is extracted from rhe Coccus 
or cochineal insect, which subsists upon the Nopalia or Opuntia cochincllif era. The Saguarro 
or Cereus giganteus is the largest known species, often in its habitat (Mexico) attaining a height 
of 80 feet and more, whilst the smallest specimens of the entire family are found in the genus 
Mamillaria. As a help to those undertaking the culture of Cacti in this country, to enable them 
to fully grasp the natural requirements of the different genera, it will be as well for them to know 
that the species of the genera Kpiphyllum, I’hyllocactus, and Khipsalis are wholly or most'y 
epiphytal — that is, they grow naturally upon the trunks and stems of various tropical trees, 
mostly depending for their food upon the humid atmosphere which pervades the districts in 
which they are found. The fruits of many varieties are edible. The buds of such varieties as 
Cereus splendens, C. triangularis (the strawberry pear), Fereskia aculeata (the Ilarbadoes goose- 
berry), Opuntia tuna (the prickly pear), and O. ficus indica (the Indian fig) are either eaten in 
