April 24, 1884, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
321 
yellowish, the central one bright red at the base. The flowers are clear 
yellow. It is a native of Mexico, whence it was introduced some thirty or 
forty years ago. 
K. noRizoNTHALONius, Lemaire .—A beautiful species, which, according 
to Engelmann, is found growing in strong soil at the summit of hills from 
Pecos to El Paso and north to Dona, and where it flowers freely from April 
It varies greatly in size, but is globular in form, with nine to ten 
thick ridges, on which the clusters of spines are very closely set, the number 
usually being seven, thick and rigid. The flowers are funnel-shaped, purplish 
pink, the sepals being tipped with a darker shade of purple, and have a 
pretty effect when opening in the sunlight. The stamens are very numerous, 
and in some flowers as many as 1200 have been counted ; they also have a 
rather pleasing appearance, the yellow anthers contrasting with the white 
filaments. 
E. ingens, Zuccarini. — This is one of the few Echinocactus which furnish 
any product of service to man, and even in this case it is far from being in 
general use. Several species produce a woolly or silk-like substance at the 
summit of the plant, but in this one it is particularly abundant, and in 
Mexico, according to Dr. Parry, it is collected and employed for stuffing 
pillows. The filaments composing it are not long, but soft and silk-like even 
in colour, soniewhat resembling a similar product found round the base of 
the fronds in some species of Cibotium. In the Kew museum are good 
specimens of the substance. Cultivated plants are 8 to 10 inches high, of 
globular form, with twenty to twenty-one ridges 1 to inch deep, spirally 
arranged. The clusters of spines are half an inch apart, and contain twelve 
to fourteen grey spines 1 inch long. 
_E. Longihamatus, Galeotti .—Remarkable for the length of the spines 
which give it a very peculiar appearance. It is also interesting for a 
character which may probably have some bearing on the fertilisation. It 
is well described by Engelmann as follows:—“The flowers forma groove 
Fig. 77.—Echinocactus rhodophthalmus. 
just above the spines, separated from the spiniferous areolae by two to 
five obtuse cylindric glandular bodies, which often exude a clear viscous 
liquid. I find them also in E. setispinus, E. Emoryi, and numerous others, 
and they correspond no doubt with the glands in the groove of Mamillaria 
Scheeri and others. They appear with the flower, and are soft and fleshy 
at the time, afterwards they become hardened, of the texture of the spines 
themselves, and persistent.” It is difficult to tell what is the exact purpose 
these serve, as, beyond the fragrance of the flowers and the abundant stores 
of pollen, there are few temptations for insect visitors in most Cactaceous 
flowers. E. longihamatus is a native of the Rio Grande district near the 
Pecos and San Pedro rivers, and it was introduced by Galeotti in 1851. The 
stem is globular, 2 to 12 inches high, dark green or glaucous, with thirteen 
ridges of circular mound-like tubercles 1 inch high. These are about 1 inch 
apart, and bear six to fourteen strong rigid spines each, red when young, and 
brownish grey or black afterwards ; the central one is sometimes 4 inches 
long, and terminates in a hook. The flower is 3 to 4 inches in diameter, 
with narrow yellow petals and greenish sepals. The fruits are described as 
“ green and acid when young, but sweet when ripe.” This species is parti¬ 
cularly well grown in the Oxford Botanic Garden collection, which includes 
several large and handsome specimens. 
E. rhodophthalmus, Hooker .—A neat and pretty species of moderate 
growth and flowering very freely. The stem is cylindrical, somewhat 
columnar in form, 6 to 8 inches high, 3 to 5 inches in diameter. There 
are eight to. nine ridges closely set together, and upon these are the 
clusters of nine spines, each about 1 inch long, the central one the largest, 
the others spreading. These are in their earliest stages of a purplish 
hue, but as they grow older they lose the colour and become pale. The 
flowers are borne at the summit of the stem, are 3 to 4 inches in diameter, 
formed of narrow spreading petals, the colour being a pleasing shade of 
rosy crimson, much darker at the base, thus forming a ring of colour 
which greatly improves the appearance of the flower. The species is a 
native of .San Luis Potosi in Mexico, and was introduced to this country 
by F. Staines, Esq., in 1847. It flowers during the summer months very 
freely, and is worth a place in any collection, but still continues rather 
scarce. The woodcut, fig. 77, is a reduced representation of the plate in 
the “ Botanical Magazine,” t. 448G, published in 1850. A variety named 
ellipticus was also figured in the same work subsequently, but it differs 
very slightly from the type.—L. Castle. 
(To be continued.) 
THE GRASS GARDEN. 
I am induced to send a few notes on gardening on grass 
from the great beauty displayed by such a simple flower as 
the common Primrose at the present time. Primroses grow 
here by thousands'—in clumps, in broad masses, in detached 
straggling groups, or scattered singly in portions they have not 
as yet thoroughly colonised. No form of spring bedding is so 
simple, so satisfying, so effective, so cheap. The very atmo¬ 
sphere is redolent with Primrose scent, and even when we are 
not looking at the varied coloured masses we are quite sensible 
of their presence. I do not intend to write a long article 
detailing every step to be taken in order to beautify stretches 
of grass in spring. I would rather drop a few hints, and leave 
the rest to those who wish to carry out the principles in their 
own case. 
A specially bad practice to guard against is that of placing 
plants singly over a large expanse of grass. It is not only much 
better, but it is really the only sensible plan, to plant out closely 
in clumps or round and underneath trees. The flowers are in 
this case effective at once, and attract attention without having 
to hunt them out, as is necessary when planted singly. Recently 
I saw some Daffodils set out in the manner here condemned. 
A single bulb had been put out here and there, and the whole 
result was a feeling of loneliness, produced by the wanf of 
taste, which would have gathered the whole of them into a few 
square yards, and thereby have made an oasis in a desert, which 
the woe-begone little plants made only the more dreary. 
The present is a good time to prepare a stock of Primroses, 
Polyanthuses, and Cowslips, by sowing good breadths of seed 
in the kitchen garden. Some light vegetable or leaf soil will be 
of much advantage. Where time is to spare the seedlings will 
be rendered much stronger by pricking them out singly on a 
north border. Our system of planting these is to set a man 
with a spade to cut a like mark on the turf, gently easing it 
up as he removes his spade the second time. The plants are 
put into the little trench thus made, the turf firmed down 
with the foot, and the planting is completed. Polyanthus 
Narcissus which have been forced should now be clumped on 
suitable places. Those who like Tulips will also find them do 
Avell if transplanted now. In our poor soil I find it is necessary 
to lift as much turf as is necessary to include the plants 
intended for one position, cultivate the ground, plant out, and 
again relay the turf. 
It will be found best to confine the Narcissus to a few good 
types, so many of the expensive new kinds are either very like older 
ones, or hardly worth growing at all. Narcissus pumilus is the 
earliest, and a pretty dwarf kind, looking well on grass. Good 
varieties are also N. bicolor Horsfieldi, N. b. primularius, N. in- 
comparabilis, and the double kinds of this, N. lorifolius Emperor, 
and N. 1. Empress, N. maxim us, N. telamonius, the varieties of 
N. Tazetta and of N. poeticus, and N. jonquilla. Other in¬ 
dispensable flowers are (Snowdrops, which do best in shady 
positions. Crocuses we fail to get to do, field mice completely 
clearing these out. Like the Primroses all these are best grown 
in detached clumps and masses. A few of them are pretty 
in portions of the Primrose plantations, but only sparingly.— 
Sylvanus. 
DECORATIVE PELARGONIUMS. 
Decorative Pelargoniums are very useful and free-flowering 
plants. The flowers have not the perfect form of those de¬ 
signated Show varieties, but they are much superior from a 
decorative point of view. It is chiefly through the exertions of 
the London market growers that we have these Pelargoniums, 
most of them having been raised in such establishments. 
Gardeners that have not been through Covent Garden Market 
whilst these plants are in season would be amazed at the 
numbers. From the present time until the end of June thou¬ 
sands of plants may be seen in 48-size pots with about eighteen 
trusses of bloom fully expanded, and as many others coming 
on, with sturdy foliage down to the rims of the pots. In esta¬ 
blishments where Pelargoniums are a speciality rows of low 
span-roof houses, with ample ventilation and very light, may be 
