320 
ECHINOCACTUS OXYGONUS. 
a tall, coarse plant, growing from ten to fifteen 
feet high, according to soil and season ; seldom 
flowering except in warm years, or on poor 
land. The flowers are similar to those of the 
common sunflower (Heliantlms ann'ius), ex- 
cept in size, being much smaller. The stem 
seldom branches, rising straight and wandlike, 
clothed at short distances with rough, broad, 
rather heart-shaped leaves, which are coarsely 
toothed on their edges. 
This plant seems to delight in a free, sandy 
soil, manure hardly being required, and cer- 
tainly in some cases being injurious. In rich 
old garden ground, and in some others of close 
texture, the roots acquire a disagreeable 
mouldy taste, completely unfitting them for 
the table ; but in sandy or chalky ground, this 
is seldom or never the case. In many gardens, 
it is grown in any out-of-the-way corner, 
where it is seldom disturbed, except to take 
up whatever roots may be wanted, which is 
generally done after much the same way as a 
parcel of pigs would accomplish the same 
operation. Of course, this ought to be 
avoided, as it can neither produce a proper 
crop, nor ought any part of a garden to be left 
in such a state from year to year. Besides, 
this plant may be made very useful in forming 
screens, either for shelter or shade, during the 
summer and autumn, for any crops which may 
require either the one or the other. Choose, 
then, the situation, and having dug and left 
the soil as light as possible, plant the sets, 
either moderate sized whole tubers, or, if pre- 
ferred, sets with one or more eyes, in similar 
fashion to those of potatoes. If a piece of 
ground is chosen to be entirely occupied with 
them, they should be planted in rows from two 
to three feet apart, and about a foot from set 
to set in the rows. But where there is room, 
or necessity for shade, two rows together will 
be found to yield a finer crop than if the plants 
are huddled together. It has been recom- 
mended to nip out the tops of the shoots when 
they are about three feet high; and this 
would seem to prove beneficial, as the plant 
meeting with a temporary check in the deve- 
lopment of more young leaves, those already 
formed would begin to react on the roots, and 
induce them to throw out their subterranean 
stems, the thickening of which at their points 
forms the tuber for which the plant is culti- 
vated. In practice, however, little or no 
benefit arises from topping them. As the 
season advances, the rows should be well 
moulded up, and the ground left as light as 
possible. If the weather prove very dry, good 
soakings of water will be found very beneficial, 
although it must be a very dry season in this 
country which did not produce an average crop. 
As autumn approaches, and the stems are 
blackened with frost, which is generally the 
case with the first that happens, the tubers 
should be carefully dug up with a fork, and 
the ground thoroughly cleared of all remains 
of the crop. Every particle of root should be 
carefully removed, as otherwise they become 
a troublesome weed in the next season. The 
roots should be sorted, rejecting the small and 
cut ones, and storing the largest away in sand, 
in the same way as carrots and other similar 
roots. Pigs and poultry are very fond of this 
tuber, and therefore the refuse need not be 
lost ; in fact, the first are said to do remark- 
ably well en them, although they are known 
to possess but slight farinaceous properties. 
This root is dressed in various ways, and is 
held in high estimation by many; but should 
a person, on first trying it, happen to taste the 
mouldy flavour before spoken of, he will 
hardly care to taste it again. It, however, 
forms a good variety in winter dishes, and is 
particularly valuable in severe winters, when 
vegetables are scarce. 
ECHINOCACTUS OXYGONUS, 
(Link and Olio.) 
TIIF. SIIABP-ANGLED HEDGE-HOG CACTUS. 
We may at some future time notice the dif- 
ferent groups of Cacti, and endeavour to ex- 
plain in what their differences consist. In the 
mean time the annexed figure gives a good 
idea of that group to which the name of Echi- 
nocactus has been applied. It is one of the 
class distinguished by the appellations of 
"globe" Cacti and "dwarf" Cacti, in dis- 
tinction from such plants as the more gaudy 
genera, Cereus and Epiphyllum, to which is 
commonly applied the distinctive name of 
" tall " Cacti. 
These dwarf or globe Cactuses are exceed- 
