320 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COT1AGE GARDENER. 
[ April 24, 1884. 
brighten and diversify the appearance of conservatories and cool 
greenhouses.—T. 
VEGETABLE MARROW CULTURE. 
Like Tomatoes, Vegetable Marrows are not grown so much as they 
should be. Large rough-growing sorts with fruits like cattle-feeding 
productions are not likely to make anyone grow them for frequent 
use in the kitchen, but some of the small-fruiting varieties are so 
suitable for the dinner table, and so excellent in flavour, that when 
once they are fairly and rightly introduced no one would allow a 
season to pass without having quantities of them. In sending vege¬ 
table to the kitchen some years ago we were never asked for a second 
supply of the large Marrows, but since the small ones have been sent 
in they are put on the bill of fare repeatedly, and many of them are 
preserved for winter use. No Vegetable Marrow for the table should 
be more than 2 lbs. in weight. If two or three times the weight of 
this they will be coarse and tough, and void of the true pleasing 
flavour. 
In raising young Vegetable Marrow plants a slight heat, such as 
that afforded by a gentle hotbed or frame, is a great assistance in 
germinating the seed and pushing forward the young plants ; but 
when the season has advanced so far as this they may be raised under 
a handlight or in the open, and plants of all descriptions should now 
be daily exposed to the air, as in a few weeks hence they will be 
planted in their fruiting quarters. This may be on a manure or 
refuse heap, as they do exceedingly well on such positions, and they 
•will also succeed on small mounds placed on a south border or any 
other sunny position. When the compost in which they have to grow 
is made up chiefly of manure the plants produce thick stems and large 
leaves in it, but this is not the way to get fine fruits or plenty of 
them. Robust growths and astonishing productiveness are never 
associated, but moderate growths and heavy crops may easily be pro¬ 
duced. To accomplish this the soil should consist of turfy loam or 
common garden soil with a small quantity of horse droppings added, 
and in this it will be found that the plants will make hardy short- 
jointed wood with small leaves, and one or more fruits at every joint. 
Many who have seen our Marrow plants with the fruit clustering 
along the stems wonder -why they are so prolific, but it is solely the 
result of stinting them at the roots. Plants poorly supplied with feed¬ 
ing at first come into fruit very much sooner than those which make 
a large quantity of soft growths before a fruit is formed.—A Kitchen 
Gardener. 
CACTACEOUS PLANTS. 
(Continued from page 190.) 
ECHINOCACTUS, Link and Otto. 
(The Hedgehog Cactus.) 
The Hedgehog Cactus genus is one of the largest in the whole 
family, and the two hundred species comprised in it include some of the 
most handsome and curious forms in this portion of the vegetable world. 
They are not so remarkable for beauty and symmetry of structure as the 
Mamillarias, but the flowers are usually large, brightly coloured, the 
tints most predominating being yellow, rose, and purple, while many are 
pure white. The flowers also in numerous species attain a considerable 
size, almost rivalling some of the Cereus ; and as they frequently open 
for several days in succession they have not the defect of fugaciousness 
so common in other members of the family. The strangest character 
connected with the Hedgehog Cactus is, however, the enormous size 
which some of them attain. It is true they do not grow to so great a 
height as the Cereus, for few, even of the largest, exceed 4 or 5 feet in 
height, but they occasionally become excessively bulky, as in E. Visnaga, 
sometimes -weighing as much as a ton, though there is every gradation 
from that to species as diminutive as the Mamillarias. The majority of 
globular stems like the Melocactus, with more or less strongly marked 
ridges from the summit to the base, usually slightly spiral, though fre¬ 
quently nearly vertical. In a few species these ridges are broken into 
a series of tubercles, which are sometimes nearly as distinctly separated 
as in the Mamillarias, and in others are partly confluent, until in the 
extreme cases they can only be traced by slight prominences upon the 
ridges. Whether moderately or strongly developed these projections are 
termed tubercles as in the other genera, and each bears a cluster of 
spines, which vary in size from extremely small points that are scarcely 
discernible to gigantic and formidable horny spines 3 or 4 inches in 
length, straight and rigid, or hooked at the point; they are also some¬ 
times in two series, the outer spreading and the inner erect. These 
furnish characters which assist in determining the species, and Labouret 
has given an elaborate system of classification, founded chiefly upon 
these appendages. 
The flowers are produced from near the apex of the younger tubercles 
at the upper part of the stem, and are borne just above the cluster of 
spines. Sometimes they are clustered in a dense woolly substance some¬ 
what like the cap of the Melocactus at the summit of the plant. The' 
calyx forms a tube varying in length, being sometimes very long and 
funnel-shaped ; it is usually scaly, the scales gradually passing into the 
lobes of the calyx, and these in turn into the petals, all the parts being 
very numerous, and not readily distinguishable from each other. The 
stamens are in great numbers, the filaments being united to the tube of 
the calyx. The style is columnar, the stigma with many rays, and the 
fruit is berry-like, to which the lobes of the calyx frequently adhere. 
By various authors a few of the species have been separated under 
other generic names, as Malacocarpus of Salm Dyck, Gymnocalcium of 
Pfeiffer, and Astrophytum of Lemaire ; but these have been found to 
be insufficiently distinct, and are now united with the Echinocactus by 
Hooker and Bentham. 
The species are widely distributed, being found in Mexico and various 
parts of South America, but in the first-named country and adjoining 
regions they chiefly abound. There they are found in arid stony or 
rocky places, with very little soil for the roots, exposed to a high tem¬ 
perature in the summer and a much lower one in the winter—indeed, 
some endure frost and snow with such little injury that they might be 
reasonably expected to be hardy in this country. Some have been found 
to resist our winters, but comparatively few have succeeded at present, 
and doubtless the chief reason for this is the much greater amount of 
moisture in the soil and atmosphere. 
Culture .—In growing the majority of the Echinocactus the chief 
points requiring attention are providing a well-drained soil, as they are 
all impatient of the least excess of water, and regulating the supply of 
moisture with much care. Most of the Mexican species in particular 
produce but slender and few roots, and only need small pots, as an 
excessive quantity of soil is positively injurious. These, too, will succeed 
in a temperature between 45° and 50° during the winter months, but 
then require scarcely any water. 
Propagation .—Few of the Hedgehog Cactus produce ofEsets, and 
are therefore not readily propagated in that way. When, however, 
the upper part is injured, or in the case of the columnar species if that 
portion is cut off, the lower part of the stem often produces several 
shoots like other Cactem, and these can be treated as previously advised 
for offsets. In Mexico and elsewhere in North America certain 
species are very abundant in particular districts, some growing amongst 
the grass and scarcely visible, and travellers relate that where these 
are injured by fires or cattle they form a great number of shoots, 
becoming closely branched tufts or cushions of considerable size. The 
majority of the species can be easily grafted upon the Cereus or other 
genera except the Opuntias, to which they do not unite readily. Graft¬ 
ing is, however, unnecessary in most cases, as, except the very delicate 
species or abnormal crested varieties, they are best on their own roots. 
A few years ago Mr. Peacock had an interesting specimen of E. Pottsi, 
which was grafted upon three stems of Cereus tortuosus, and being 
raised several inches above the surface of the soil it had a very strange 
appearance. 
SELECT SPECIES. 
In so large a genus it is obvious that only a few can be named in these 
notes, but some of the most distinct of these in cultivation have been 
selected. Collections in general do not include perhaps more than a fourth 
of the entire number known. 
Echinocactus brevihamatus, Engelmann .— A pretty and distinct 
species from San Pedro, very noticeable for the prominent globular tuber¬ 
cles, which might almost cause it to be taken for a Mamillaria. The stem 
is cylindrical, 5 to 6 inches high, and 4 to 5 inches in diameter. The spines 
are in two series, those of the ray twelve, half to three-quartern of an inch 
long, the central one 1 inch long, hooked at the point and yellowish brown 
in colour. The flowers are about 1 inch long, of a pale rose tint, but have 
a deeper coloured mid-vein, which brightens the flowers considerably. 
E. ceratiotes, Otto .—An elegant plant, which from its columnar growth 
and numerous rounded ridges has a very distinct appearance in a collection. 
The best specimens at Kew are 2 feet high, 8 inches in diameter at the 
base, and nearly as much at the top, except where young growth has been 
recently made. The ridges are twenty or more in number, half an inch 
deep, nearly as much across, somewhat rounded, and deep green. The 
spines are in clusters of twelve or more, 1 inch apart on the ridges, seven 
or eight of the outer spines being white, fine, and hair-like, four or five 
inner ones being rigid, 1 inch long, and of a bright reddish colour on the 
young growth, which has a pretty effect. It is a Chilian plant, and has 
been in cultivation for more than thirty years, but is rather scarce. 
E. cylindraceus. —A Mexican species of formidable appearance, fur¬ 
nished with long and powerful spines, which interlace over the plant in a 
strange manner, and affording it a most effectual protection. The stem is 
globular, in the,largest specimen I have seen about 6 inches high by the 
same in diameter. The spines are horn-like, with nodes like the antennae 
of some large insects. They are 2 to 3 inches long, interlacing flat on the 
surface of the plant. Others are spreading or curved, 3 to 4 inches long 
flattened, with a reddish tinge. As a curiosity this is one of the most? 
striking of the genus. It was introduced from the Colorado district in 
1877, but is scarce in collections. 
E. Echidne, De Candolle .—A distinct and rather attractive plant, which 
owes its name apparently to its cylindrical form and abundant spines, and 
to the former character probably is due the name of Viper Cactus which 
some have applied to it. The stems are 6 to 12 inches high. 6 inches in 
diameter, with eleven to twelve ridges 1 inch deep, and spirally arranged on 
the stem. The spines are half to 1 inch long, rigid, greyish white, and tipped 
with reddish brown, and are in clusters of seven to eight, about an inch 
apart on the ridges, their base being surrounded by a thick grey down. The 
flower is of moderate size, and bright yellow. 
E. electracanthus, Lemaire .—Distinguished by a bold appearance that 
renders it quite unique and easily recognised. Well-grown plants are from 
18 inches to 2 feet high, and 1 foot in diameter, with twenty-two prominent 
angular ridges 1 inch deep and the same in width, deep green, but having a 
cartilaginous edge. Upon this are borne the spines in clusters of nine, 
2 inches apart; the spines are equal in size, 1 inch long, rigid, horn-like, and 
