January 31, 1884. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
85 
nursery, and so they get into that unsettled state that they make but 
# progress, and are often a continual source of anxiety to their 
employers. I am afraid it is by such men that “ H., Notts," has judged 
young men as a whole ; but I hope when the more intelligent class 
is placed in the balance with them that the result would not be 
unfavourable to the latter. 
..* lme a »° ^ wen t with a neighbour to see a friend at some 
little distance from home. In the course of our conversation our friend 
remarked that he had had a call of two young men from such a place 
Bear us a short time before. “Oh 1” exclaimed my neighbour, “why 
ose two scotch fellows have been to every place within twenty miles.’’ 
* think these are the sort of “ fellows ” to get on; and I think this 
cultivating the acquaintance of other gardeners and seeing their gardens 
as a, means of improvement should be encouraged. 
1 must thank, may I say, our Chaplain for his timely support in his 
^j e A w J ear 8 address. May his words be taken more seriously to heart by 
^ Gardener ” and “ T. L.” than they are inclined to look upon 
e advice offered by myself. I am sorry that my letter, in the ideas 
or these two young men, savoured so much of the “ lecturing ” or 
preaching” style. “ A Young Gardener ” so links my humble advice 
and the remarks of “ H., Notts," together, that it would lead your 
readers to believe we had made a united sweeping condemnation of 
all pleasure for young gardeners. This is not quite in accordance with 
facts. My “lecture” was directed against going to extremes — as I 
unfortunately did myself in some matters — rather than to the dis¬ 
couragement of all relaxation. I like music, and dancing too, and like 
o see young men acquit themselves creditably in the social circle on 
occasions when little accomplishments and good manners are expected 
o shine. The danger is when fascinating pastimes are allowed too 
much scope. There are men, and young men too, who can take these 
mgs, but there are others who cannot; and when, as is often the 
case, young men take to continually scraping on a fiddle, strumming cn 
a or dancing, and singiDg tap-room songs, woe be to all 
, m f 16 ? 1 ' 11 ? su ph. If young men have an ear for music, let it 
e evoted to something more elevating than that. Let them learn to 
Tead music and practise part singing, and they will have a never-failing 
source of pleasure, either in company of their fellow men, or if in some 
onely country place where but few opportunities of intercourse with the 
ou er world occur. I hope “ A Young Gardener ” is one of those who 
can take things in moderation, and that he does not too frequently feel 
disinclined “ for harder studies.” —A Working Gardener. 
his subject has been the means of raising a somewhat lively dis 
cussion in the Journal, and is one in which all who care for the future 
o gardening should take an interest. Though not disposed to side 
cn irely with either of those who have been contending in the matter, 
e writer would admit at once that there is truth on both sides. There 
are men of the present day who do not come up to the standard of 
many of those of past years, but at the same time there are numbers 
° , men w ^° &* ve P rom i se of being at least equal to any of those 
w o nave preceded them. The numbers that now are following the 
gardening profession greatly exceed former days, consequently among 
so many there is not much difficulty in picking out instances of bad 
conduct, want of application, and disregard of the study required to 
enable a man to become a credit to his calling. But there can also be 
numerous cases of dilligent study and exemplary conduct pointed out, 
an when such is the case there cannot be much fear of the gardening 
pro ession retrograding so much as some would assert. 
.No doubt there are many young gardeners who have not very many 
a vantages, and who avail themselves to the utmost of what they have ; 
an on the other hand there are some who, though favoured with many 
opportunities for self-improvement, wilfully neglect them. Bothy life 
now-a-days is, as a rule, much more comfortable than it was thirty or 
or y years ago, and the wants of the young men are undoubtedly more 
zuliy supplied now than then. 
There is one evil of the present day that sometimes causes much 
annoyance that is, when masters give good characters to men who in 
rea i y are not deserving them. Mutual confidence between head 
gar eners is sometimes much endangered by this evil. No doubt it 
appens through kindness, and full allowance must be made. But a 
i e wholesome truth sometimes would be the means of not only 
preven ing another employer being deceived, but also of making the 
young, man endeavour to mend his ways. “Honesty is the best 
po icy, applies with equal force in things relating to gardening and 
gar eners as it does to any other walk in life, and all should endeavour 
to proceed on thoroughly honest principles. 
^ rdeniQ g ' 8 a m08 ^ difficult and complex study must be admitted, 
fio muc^the more necessary is it that young men devoting themselves to 
. ?.. 0 j, use every means in their power to attain to the highest position, 
in y feeling between head and under gardeners must in all cases 
on ^JT a y towards making young men take more interest in their 
ing. that this feeling exists in most cases is pretty certain. The 
a vice to not only read a gardening periodical, but also to obtain, bind, 
an preserve for reference, is sound, and should be followed by all. 
ere can hardly be a case now-a-days where a man cannot afford to 
° - 1 S j. , ere * s so me little thing he can dispense with in order that 
a periodical may be taken. Some good is derived from reading papers 
a meetings, but not so much, I think, as others seem to imagine. There 
!? a dan S er °f young men thinking themselves much more clever 
an they really are after they have contributed a paper or two to these 
eeting8. Continual and intelligent observation of all going on around . 
copious notes, careful reading and thinking over all articles in the 
periodical they take, will help much more to improve men than an 
occasional paper read at a meeting, if such is not combined with steady 
and judicious study. 
Books on botany and gardening subjects can be obtained at cheap 
rates now, and should be acquired as soon as funds permit. Knowledge 
gained and properly stored in the mind is always of service. 
® Thus useful arms in magazines we place, 
All ranged in order, and disposed with grace ; 
Nor thus alone the curious eye to please. 
But to be found, when need requires—with ease,’’ 
—VlTIS. 
[A letter from our able correspondent and valued old contributor, 
“ H., Notts," will appear in a future issue. He has a good and good- 
humoured word for all, and an excellent retort for most who have 
pressed him rather closely in the discussion which he raised.] 
CACTACEOUS PLANTS. 
{Continued from page 42.) 
GENERAL CULTURE. 
The numerous members of the Cactus family are exposed to widely 
differing temperatures in their native habitats, owing to the extent of 
the American continent over which they are distributed, but also to the 
great elevations on the mountains of those regions at which some are 
found, and it is principally in regard to heat that the treatment of Cacti 
has to be varied. A large number, probably the majority of known 
species, frequent the desert-like plains and the rocky volcanic districts 
of Chili and Mexico, where they grow and flower under the fiercest 
tropical heat, not only uninjured, but positively luxuriating in their 
strange fashion in the burning rays of an unclouded sun. There for the 
greater portion of the year the soil is parched, and the atmosphere suffo¬ 
catingly dry, and no other plants can exist except those which have 
become adapted to the peculiar conditions of the climate, either 
resembling their Cactus neighbours in developing a succulent growth 
containing an abundant store of fluid support, or possessing foliage 
protected by a thick impervious leather-like epidermis, which effectually 
enables them to withstand the rapid evaporation constantly proceeding 
in such regions. It is not easy to exactly reproduce these conditions 
artificially when cultivating the plants in our northern climate ; we can, 
however, insure a sufficiently high temperature with the requisite aridity 
of soil or atmosphere, and this seems all that is needed, though undoubtedly 
the maturing effect of a roasting sun is missed to some extent. For these 
really tropical Cacti a special house is required to give the cultivator an 
opportunity of growing them to the best advantage, as when included in 
a mixed collection of plants they are usually exposed to a much greater 
humidity than is beneficial to them, and they consequently flower less 
freely. This applies especially to the majority of the Echinocactuses, 
Melocactuses, Opuntias, and Cereuses, though in the latter genus there 
are several exceptions, as some species require the moist atmosphere of 
an ordinary stove. Nearly all the family need a free exposure to the sun ; 
but even amongst the tropical species there are exceptions to this rule, 
for the Rhipsalises and Epiphyllums, being epiphytal in habit, succeed 
best in moderate shade, and can indeed be associated with such moisture- 
loving plants as Orchids and Ferns. 
In ascending the mountains of central and northern America, where 
the Cacti abound, some of the wandering species of most of the genera 
are found similarly happy in much lower temperatures, until at an alti¬ 
tude of 8 to 10,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains some Opuntias and 
Echinocactuses still form a portion of the vegetation, and are frequently 
exposed to frosts and snow. It will thus be seen that in a broad sense 
the Cacti may for cultural purposes be divided into three groups :—1st, 
the tropical species from the lowlands and plains, extending for a short 
distance up the mountains ; 2nd, the intermediate species, which are 
found on the extreme northern limits of their distribution, and which 
rise to a considerable height in the mountains, but still below the frost 
line ; and 3rd, those which inhabit the highest elevations. The two first 
would respectively require the temperature of a dry stove and a green¬ 
house, while the remaining group includes those which have been found 
to be hardy in England. 
Except where very large collections are formed and every effort is 
made to imitate the natural conditions, houses cannot be specially de¬ 
voted to each of the two former groups, and the Cacti are so extremely 
accommodating that they will apparently conform themselves to any 
reasonable treatment. Wherever these plants are made a speciality one 
house at least can be appropriated to them, and this is really all that is 
necessary, for the species from the tropical regions can be placed at the 
warmest end, the intermediate and cool species being accommodated in 
different positions according to the varying temperature. A third class 
of cultivators, however, and by far the largest, are those who grow a 
moderate collection as examples of the most curious phase of vegetable 
life, and who cannot give them special quarters, being compelled to 
grow them with other plants. In this case the best general plan to adopt 
is to give the plants cool and dry treatment during the winter, a green¬ 
house or conservatory being a suitable place; while in the spring and 
summer, when growth is made, a heated frame facing south is admirably 
adapted for them, as there they can be arranged near the glass, fully 
exposed to the sun, and provided with sufficient moisture to stimulate 
growth without rendering it weak. The last method is an excellent one, 
even where the largest collections are grown, and I have obtained better 
results by so treating them than by any other method. Some, indeed 
