1874. ] 
HOT-WATER TREATMENT FOR CACTI. 
223 
and on this they are now placed in saucers, the reason being that they are never 
watered on the surface of the soil, but tepid water is always applied to the saucers. 
If the surface of the soil late in autumn and through the winter is watered, the 
plants are very liable to shrink off or canker at the surface, and that, too, very 
suddenly. 
By the end of September the greenhouse is cleared out, and re-arranged with 
winter plants, when the warmest, lightest, and most sheltered place on the front 
shelf is chosen for the Lisianthus plants, which are there placed in pans until the 
following spring, when they get a good shift, and are replaced on the prepared 
cutting-bed, now again got in readiness with its fermenting materials. By the 
time most of the cuttings, &c., are removed, the young plants are ready for their 
final shift, and get more room till they begin to show bloom-buds, when they are 
again placed on the front greenhouse shelf to bloom. 
Clean pots are always chosen, and the pots are at all times kept clean. They 
are drained fully one-quarter of their depth with broken sherds ; and the soil is 
healthy, sweet, well-pulverised, tolerably light and rich, being composed of such 
as well-decomposed leaf-mould, heath-soil, or light turfy loam, adding a por¬ 
tion of well-decomposed cow-dung, and always making use of clean, well-washed, 
sharp sand, enough to keep .all open, sweet, and porous. In their full growing 
season, the plants may be watered with good clear liquid manure—never applying 
the water cold, or from autumn to spring, on the surface of the soil. 
If these simple instructions are attended to, success will be the reward, and a 
glorious sight the result. The plants may be grown to any desired size, with 
the convenience of heat and room and large shifts. Mr. Webber’s are finished 
off in 10-in. and 12-in. pots, and are noble, healthy plants, with from three score 
to four score or more open flowers on each plant,—a lovely sight.— James Barnes, 
Exmouth. 
HOT-WATER TREATMENT FOR CACTI. 
0 you are really going to do it,” I exclaimed, as she came in with the tea¬ 
kettle. “ I should think you would be afraid; I know you’ll kill them, 
and it’s too bad, after having them so long. Let me see, it must be ten 
years since you started the slips.” “ Yes, almost eleven, and I’m tired of 
seeing them around. I’yo threatened these three years to throw them out, and 
now I’ll give them just one more trial. If it kills them, I don’t care and the 
steaming kettle seemed to sing the words after her in a spiteful way, “ I don’t 
care ! I don’t care !” 
It was all about two inoffensive plants, standing in pots on the window-shelf. 
They were species of Cacti,' one a Snake Cactus, and the other a beautiful largo 
pink flower; but Aunt Euth did not know. Neither of the plants had ever 
blossomed, and after these many years she had resolved to give them up as not 
worth the room they occupied. 
“ I’ve tried everything but this,” Aunt Ruth went on, still holding the kettle 
