42 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 17,1884. 
contain representatives, but in relatively small numbers. In Mexico the 
vegetation assumes an extraordinary appearance owing to the preponder¬ 
ance of the Cerei and other members of the family, where in the several 
hot, dry, rocky, regions which characterise this portion of the American 
continent, the Cacti flourish together with Agaves, Yuccas, Dasylirions, 
Beaucarneas, Echeverias, and similar plants of the Xerophilons, or heat 
and drought-loving type. The woodcut (fig. 6) will convey some idea of the 
aspect of the vegetation in many parts of Mexico ; but one of the most 
remarkable representations of this scenery is a plate in Julius Froebel’s 
“ Travels in Central America and Mexico,” pourtraying the lower part of 
the valley of Santa Cruz, in which are shown over fifty “ Saguarro trees,” 
as the Cereus peruvianus is termed, some very strangely branched near the 
summit, and attaining the height of from 30 to 50 feet. In the Rocky 
Mountains some members of the family are found at great elevations, 
several having been observed by Mr. E. G. Loder as high as 10,000 feet. 
These being in a low temperature are practically hardy in this country, 
and form a group of additional interest to the cultivator. 
HISTORY. 
The Cactacese, or Cacteae as this family is termed by some writers, 
derives its name from the word Cactus, under which generic title 
Linnaeus grouped all the forms that were known in his time, and the 
name is still popularly applied to plants possessing the general characters 
of the order. Botanically it is now obsolete, and the species are arranged 
under other genera, such as Cereus, Echinocactus, Opuntia, &c. The 
title “Cactus,” or “ Cactos,” was applied by Theophrastus to some kind 
of spiny plant peculiar to Sicily, which, there appears good reason for 
supposing, was really Cynara Scolymus, the Artichoke, and therefore it 
was erroneously adopted for a class of plants widely separated from the 
Composite. Dioscorides, Athenseus, and Pliny mention this Cactus, but 
apparently referring to the same plant. A plant is also mentioned by 
Pliny under the name of Opuntia, which has been by some supposed to 
be Opuntia vulgaris. The passage runs thus —“ About the city of 
Opus this an herbe called Opuntia which men delight to eat; this 
admirable gift the leafe hath, that if it be laid on the ground it will take 
root and there is no other way to plant the herbe and maintain its kind.” 
—( Holland's Pliny'). There is, however, much uncertainty about this, 
although the Opuntia has been long naturalised in Europe. Coming to 
our own country the earliest record of any cultivated members of the 
family occurs in Gerarde’s “ Catalogue of Plants” (1596), in which he 
mentions the Ficus indica (Opuntia vulgaris) as having been brought 
from Zante by his servant, William Marshall. In bis “ Historie of 
Plantes ” (1633) a good figure is given of it, also in Parkinson's “ Garden 
of Pleasant Flowers” (1629) and “Theater of Plantes” (1640), the 
latter mentioning two forms, major and minor, the Greater and Lesser 
“Indian Figge Trees.” One of these was included in the collection at 
the Oxford Botanic Garden, for in the catalogue dated 1658 is mentioned 
the Ficus indica spinosa minor of Parkinson. In the succeeding fifty 
years several species were introduced, chiefly through the Earl of 
Portland, and to the Royal Gardens, Hampton Court; so that in 1716, 
when Richard Bradley published his interesting little work on succulent 
plants, he was able to describe and illustrate five forms, chiefly Cerei and 
Opuntias. In the same author’s “ Philosopical Account of the Works of 
Nature ” (1739) good figures are also given of a Cereus, Melocactus, and 
Opuntia, with some description and reference to his previous work. 
During the eighteenth century Mr. Phillip Miller of the Chelsea Gardens 
brought several Cacti into notice, at least eight being credited to him 
and described in his “ Gardeners’ Dictionary ” in addition to those 
already known. By the end of this century, as we find from Wildenow’s 
edition of Linnaeus’ “Species Plantarum” (1796), twenty-nine species 
were in cultivation or known to botanists, and all were arranged under the 
head “Cactus,” the specific names being mostly the same as those adopted 
now. Martyn’s edition of Miller’s “ Gardeners’ Dictionary ” (1807) 
euumerates twenty species as follows: Cactus, Mammillaria, Melocactus, 
Pitajaya, heptagonus, tetragonus, hexagonus, pentagonus, repandus, 
lanuginosus, peruvianus, Royeni, grandiflorus, flagelliformis, parasiticus, 
pendulus, triangularis, moniliformis, Opuntia, Ficus indica, Tuna, 
cochinellifer, curassavica, Phyllanthus, spinosissimus, Pereskia, and por- 
tulacaefolius. From Aiton’s “ Hortus Kewensis ” (1811) we learn 
that twenty-four of these were cultivated there, while when Haworth’s 
“ Synopsis Succulentarum ” was issued in 1819, about forty-five species 
or varieties were known. 
The increase from this time was rapid, for Sweet’s “ Hortus Britan- 
nicus,” 1826, enumerates ninety-four as in cultivation, while Decandolle’s 
“ Prodromus,” published two years after, describes or mentions 183 under 
seven genera. The number of botanical travellers in America during the 
following twenty years added greatly to the knowledge of these plants, 
and by 1840 there were nearly 400 forms in cultivation ( Paxton's 
“Botanical Dictionary"), which by 1850, when M. Labouret issued 
his elaborate “ Monographie des Cactees,” had increased to 670. 
Since then many others have been discovered and introduced, and a few 
years ago Mr. Jackson of Kew estimated the number of species at about 
950, though at the present time they probably exceed 1000. Compara¬ 
tively few large collections of Cacti have been formed, and in recent 
years there has been none to equal those at Sudbury House, Hammer¬ 
smith, and in the Royal Gardens, Kew. In the latter establishment the 
handsome house devoted to succulent plants has long been one of the 
chief attractions to visitors, who can there inspect a conspectus of one of 
the most extraordinary types of vegetation upon the globe. A view of 
a portion of this house is given in fig. 7, showing the Cerei, Melo- 
cacti, and other members of the family, nearly 300 species and varieties 
being included in the collection.— Lewis Castle. 
{To be continued.) 
The National Chrysanthemum Society will hold their annual 
general meeting at the Old Four Swans, 84, Bishopsgate Street 
Without, at seven o’clock precisely, on Thursday evening next, the 17th 
inst. The President of the Society, E. Sanderson, Esq., will take the 
chair. The business will include reading the minutes of the last meeting, 
the report and balance sheet of past year, election of officers and 
Committee for 1884, and to consider suggestions that may assist the 
Committee in compilation of the schedule for 1884. 
- Though not a very common plant Lonicera Standishi is 
perfectly hardy in our climate, and merits a place in every garden where 
room can be spared in company with Jasminum nudiflorum and the 
well-known Chimonanthus fragrans and grandiflora. Flowering in front 
of No. 1 museum at Kew, passers-by get a good share of the delicious- 
fragrance emitted by the small white flowers. Unlike the Jasmine it 
has a good clothing of dark green leaves, which is a character greatly in 
its favour. 
- “ A. L. G.,” writing concerning Fragrant Roses, remarks :— 
“If anyone fond of highly scented H.P. Roses does -not possess Ulricbr 
Brunner I strongly advise them to get it. It is a very bright, clear, 
cherry-rose, with enormous flowers of exquisite scent, a really good 
variety ; and 1 may mention as a very fragrant Rose, though not a H. P., 
that grand climber Cheshunt Hybrid. I venture to call Mr. Simons 
attention to a slight mistake in his list (page 4). Marie Van Houtte is 
a Tea Rose, at least the one I possess is.” Perhaps it was a misprint for 
Louis Van Houtte. 
_ The beautiful stove plant Tillandsia Lindeni is referred to 
approvingly on page 24 as bearing light blue flowers. A small plant has- 
for some weeks been flowering in Mr. Major’s multum in parvo garden- 
at Cromwell House, Croydon, the colour of the flowers being of the- 
deepest blue imaginable. This is no doubt the true variety, T. L. vera. 
than which few if any blue flowers are richer. It is strikingly 
handsome, the white centre being very clear, and appearing to render the 
dark glowing petals additionally attractive. 
_A well-attended meeting of the Liverpool Horticul¬ 
tural Association was held on the 12th inst. in the Free Public- 
Library, William Brown Street, under the presidency of Mr. Thomas- 
White. The subject under notice was an essay on “Forcing Roses” 
by Mr. W. Bardney, Norris Green, who treated the matter in his usual 
practical manner. At the conclusion of a long and interesting discussion 
a hearty vote of thanks was unanimously accorded Mr. Bardney for 
his excellent paper. Mr. Mark Wood, gardener to Col. Wilson, received, 
a vote of thanks for a box of very fine Tomatoes, the variety being; 
Trophy. The fruits were of fine colour and large, fully equal to many 
of the handsome examples we are accustomed to see at summer exhi¬ 
bitions. The usual compliment to the Chairman brought to a close a 
most interesting and instructive gathering. 
_ a b,” considers ImAntophyllum miniatum one of the best 
plants for forcing into bloom about Christmas and onward that can be- 
had. It is free-flowering, and merely requires to be grown throughout 
the winter months in a growing temperature to insure it flowering 
annually at the dull season. In summer it is best grown in a green¬ 
house. Plants which flower now do so again about June. The flowers- 
are admirably adapted for vase-decoration. We employ loam and 
crushed lime rubbish as potting material, and do not stint the water. 
_ j N reference to Celery culture in America a Mr. Stearns 
at a recent meeting of the Michigan Horticultural Society gave an. 
account of Celery culture at Kalamazoo, where 500 acres were raised last 
year and five to eight tons shipped daily from each of the two express 
offices. “ The Celery is packed in boxes made especially for the purpose- 
The producers receive twenty cents a dozen bunches. The seed is sown 
in a bed prepared for the purpose ; the plants not transplanted until 
they are put in the trenches. A layer of manure is spread in the bottom 
of the trench before the plants are set ; the plants are set 0 inches apart 
in the row. For the early crop the seed is sown in hotbed and trans- 
