C A c 
method to preferve the large kind is, in winter, to place 
the pots either upon the tops of the flues, or, at leaft, 
very near them, that they may have the warmed place of 
the (love; and, during that feafon, never to give them 
any water ; but, when the feafon comes for leaving out 
the fire in the ilove, to remove them into a bed of tan¬ 
ners’ bark, which will foon fet them in a growing date, 
and recover their verdure. The foil in which thefe Ibould 
be planted mu ft be of a fandy nature, and if mixed with 
fonte dry lime-rubbifh it will be ftill better. In the bot¬ 
tom of the pots fliould be placed fume ftones, in order to 
drain off any moifture w hich may be in the earth ; for as 
thefe plants naturally grow upon the hot dry burning rocks, 
which have no earth, and were it not for thefe plants 
would be abfolutely barren, w e muff imitate their natural 
foil as near as poflible, making fome allowance for the 
difference of climates. 
The cereufes,. or torch-thiftles, are all propagated by 
cuttings ; fo that, if you intend to increale the number of 
them, you muff cut oft' the ftems of the upright forts at 
what length you pleafe ; thefe fhould be laid in a dry 
place to heal the part cut, at leaf! a fortnight or three 
weeks before they are planted ; but if they lie a month it 
is much the better, and they will be in lels danger of rot¬ 
ting, efpecially thofe forts which are tire mod luceulent. 
Thefe cuttings fhould be planted in pots filled with the 
mixture of earth before directed, laying fome ftones in 
the bottom of the pots to drain off the moifture ; then 
place the pots into a gentle hot-bed of tanners' bark, to 
facilitate their rooting, giving them once a-week a gentle 
watering. The beft feafon for this work is in June, or 
the beginning of July, that they may have time to root 
before winter ; towards the middle of A-uguft you muff 
begin to give them air by degrees, to harden them againft 
winter, but they fhould not be wholly expofed to the open 
air or fun ; at the end of September they muft be remo¬ 
ved into tiie ftove, or green-houfe, where they are to 
abide the winter, during which feafon you muft be very 
careful not to let them have much water; and always ob- 
ferve to place the young plants, for the firft winter, in a 
little warmer fituation than the older plants,, as being 
fomewhat tenderer. Thefe plants fhould always have a 
dry fituation in winter ; for, as. they imbibe the greateft 
part of their nouriftiment from, the circumambient air, fo, 
if this be too replete with moift particles, it will occafion 
their rotting ; therefore they fhould not be expofed abroad, 
not even in the midft of fummer, unlefs they are under 
ihelter; for great rains, which often happen at that fea- 
lon, are very injurious to them ; the upright forts fliould 
be therefore placed fo as to enjoy a free air in the rum¬ 
mer, but at the fame time fereened from rains and great 
dews ; it will therefore be much the better method to fet 
them in an open glafs ftove, where the windows may be 
fet open in good weather, and flint in cold or wet. The 
creeping forts muft not be expofed too much to the open 
air, even in the hotted: feafon, efpecially if you defign to 
have them flower, and in winter they fhould be kept very 
warm, and have no water given them. When you have 
once cut off the tops of any of thefe plants, in order to 
increafe them, the lower parts will put forth frefti roots 
from their angles, which, when grown to be eight or nine 
inches long, may alfo be taken off to make frefti plants ; 
and, by thefe means, the old plants will continually afford 
a fupply, fo that you never need cut off above one plant 
of a fort, which you fhould preferve for a breeder. Thefe 
plants being fucculent, they will bear to be a long time 
out of the ground ; therefore whoever has a mind to get 
any of them from the Weft Indies, need give no other in- 
ftrue!ions to their friends but. to cut them off, and let them 
lie two or three days to dry; then put them up in a box 
with dry hay or ftraw, to keep them from wounding each 
othar with their fpines, and, if they are two-or three months 
on their palfage, they will keep very well, provided no 
wet get to them. The third fort may be placed againft: 
the walls of the, ftove, into which it will infinuate its 
2. 
T U S. 
roots, and extend itfelf to a great length ; and', by faftetr- 
ing it to the wall in a few places, it may be led to the 
ceiling of the houfe. The (ixth fort, not being fo tender 
as the other upright cer-eufes, may be preferved in a warm 
green-houfe, without any artificial heat; but the plants 
Should not have any water given them- in winter in this 
fituation'; for, unlefs they are placed in a ftove, where the 
moifture is foon evaporated, the wet will occafion them to 
rot. The great-flowering creeping cerens is tender, and 
requires a warm ftove to protect it, w here it may be trained 
againft the wall or upon flicks. The fmall fort, with 
pink-coloured flowers, is not fo tender, and may be pre¬ 
ferved in a good' green-houfe, or placed under a hot-bed 
frame, in winter; in fummer it fhould be expofed to the 
open air, to prevent the fhoots from drawing weak, and 
to occafion a number of flowers to be produced : during 
this time it fliould have little water ; and, if the feafon 
fhould prove wet, the plants fhould be fereened from if, 
that they may not run the hazard of rotting during the 
winter. Ail thefe plants growing in dry rocky places, 
where their 1 oots are confined, muft not be planted in large 
pots, or in a rich foil. The beft compoft for them is one,- 
third light earth from a common, one-third fea-fand, and 
one-third lifted linie-rnbbifh ; if thefe be well mixed to¬ 
gether, and often turned over before the plants are put 
into it, they will thrive the better. 
The opuntias, or Indian-figs, all of them, except the 
eighteenth, are too tender to thrive irr the open air in 
England ; nor can many of them be preferved through 
the winter here, unlefs they have artificial heat; for, when 
they are placed in a green-houfe, they turn to a pale yel¬ 
low colour, their branches (brink, and frequently rot on 
the firft approach of warm weather in the fpring. Thefe 
plants may be all propagated by cutting off their branches 
at the joints, during any of the fummer months; thefe 
fhould be laid in a warm dry place fora fortnight, that the 
wounded part may be healed over, otherwife they will rot 
with the moifture which they imbibe at that part, as is the 
cafe with moft other fucculent plants. The foil in which 
thefe muft be planted fhould be compofed after the fol¬ 
lowing manner : one third of light frefti earth from a paf- 
ture, a third part fea-fand, and the other part fhould coti- 
fift of equal portions of rotten tan and lime-rubbifh : thefe 
fliould be well mixed, and laid in a heap for three or four 
months before it is ufed, obferving to turn it over at leaft" 
once a-month, that die feveral parts may be well united ; 
then you fhould pafs it through a rough fereen, in order 
to feparate the larged ftones and clods, but by no mearrs 
fift it too fine, which is a very common fault; you fhould 
referve fome of the ftnaller liones and rubbifh today at 
the bottom of the pots; in order to keep an open-palfage 
for the moifture to. drain off, which is what-muft be ob- 
ferved for all fucculent plants, for, if the moifture be de¬ 
tained in the pots, it will rot their roots and deflroy the 
plants. When you plant any of the branches of thefe 
plants, (except the eighteenth fort,) you fhould plunge 
the pots into a moderate hot-bed, which will greatly faci¬ 
litate their taking root ; you fhould alfo refrefh them now 
and then with a little water, but be very careful not to let 
them have too much, er be too often watered, efpecially 
before they are rooted. When the plants begin to (hoot, 
you muff give them a large ftiare of air, by- raifing up the 
glafles,. otherwife their fhoots will draw up-fo weak as not 
to be able to fupport themfelves ; and, after they have; 
taken flrong root, you fhould inure them to the air by de¬ 
grees, and then remove them into the ftove where they 
fliould remain, placing them near the glaffes, which muft 
always be opened in warm weather, fo- that they may have 
the advantage of a free air,, and yet be proteded from 
wet and cold. During the fummer feafon thefe plants 
will require to be often refrelbed- with water, but it muft 
not be given to them in large quantities left it rot them, 
and in winter this fhould be proportioned to the warmth 
of the ftove; for if the air be kept very warm they will 
require to be often refrdhed,. otherwife their brandies will 
ihrinki 
