HINTS FOR SUCCESSFUL PROPAGATION OF CACTI. 
Cacti are native only to the American continent growing from 
('anada to southern South America. They are succulents. A succu¬ 
lent is any plant which is especially fitted with thickened joints and 
epidermis to withstand drought. All cacti are succulents but there 
are many other members of the succulent family besides cacti. 
CUTTINGS 
Propagation by cuttings is one of the most popular and success¬ 
ful forms of cactus propagation. Make a clean cut and allow cutting 
to callous over before planting. This will take 2 or 3 days for thin 
species and a week for stout types. One can obtain specimen plants 
very much quicker from cuts than by raising the same species from 
seed. 
Many propagators advocate rooting of cuttings in absolutely 
diT clean, sharp sand. It is surprising how soon small roots will begin 
to form. When a nest of roots has formed then transplant to plant¬ 
ing soil. 
During late Fall and Winter we have done much successful 
rooting of both cuts and plants by planting them in diy soil in a 
fairly cool place and leaving them without watering until spring. At 
this season the majority of cacti growing outside are dormant. This 
is their resting period after which they bloom more freely the next 
spring. Plants kept in the home under ordinary living room tempera- 
tui'es do not become dormant as they do in nature. 
SOIL. 
Looseness of soil for both cacti and succulents is very advis¬ 
able. A soil made up of one-third each of good garden loam, well rot¬ 
ted leaf mould and clean, sharp, coarse sand will not pack hard. To 
this should be added a quantity of ground old mortar as the majority 
of cacti require it. Ground charcoal is excellent in soil mixtures in¬ 
tended for pots, not for what it will do but for what it may prevent. 
Sand assists in aerating the soil and in quick drainage of excess 
water away from the roots two essentials in successful cactus garden¬ 
ing. 
WATER. 
Rainwater is always preferable to hydrant water for plants. 
Many valuable life giving properties from the air are incorporated in 
all rain water and are made available to plants because of being in 
solution. The soil about rooted plants should never be allowed to be¬ 
come absolutely dry for any great length of time. Plants newly put 
out should be watered very sparingly for several weeks or until their 
root systems have taken hold and gone to work again. 
AIR. 
Tlie air in many houses is kept much too dry for both humans 
and plants. Greenhouses and conservatories can be regulated easily 
while lor home collections a bay window can sometimes be enclosed 
or a miniature greenhouse effect obtained by using a Wardian ease, 
a small sho'w case oi a discarded aquarium. Otherwise improved 
moisture conditions must be obtained by creating evaporation in 
some manner. 
POTTING. 
As a general rule use pottery which is porous, .so pots will dry 
out quickly. Place a piece of broken pot over hole in the bottom, fill 
for two to four inches with pebbles, charcoal, crushed oyster shell to 
encourage drainage. Bowls without drainage can be used if they have 
plenty of the above mixture and are not watered so often, but we do 
not advise them. 
FEEDING CACTI AND OTHER SUCCULENTS 
Have you ever carefully dug up a Cactus or another succulent? 
Perhaps you have taken it for granted that the plant should 
have such an extensive rootsystem, and consequently has been able 
to supply its needs. 
But place such a plant in the confinement of a pot, and it will 
soon be apparent that the plant might be in need of food. 
Pood for Cacti and other succulents is difficult to combine, as 
the plants desire very pure foods, free from impurities like chlorides, 
etc. 
The analysis should be in 3—4—.5 form: 
3 Nitrogen, as the plant should not be forced under any circum¬ 
stances. 
4— Phosphoric Acid, to assure healthy root development and 
tendency to produce a large number of flowers and consequently 
seeds. 
5— Potash, for strong fibres and resisting qualities again.st 
attack by fungi or insects. 
The purity of chemical fertilizers can readily be determined 
from the percentage of available plantfood. Those highest in analysis 
are the purest. They will be more expensive than the lower gra¬ 
des of fertilizers, but they will be proportionately more effective. 
For best results with Cacti and other Succulents very high per¬ 
centage complete plantfood is being advised. 
T. C. SPRUIT, 
Encinitas, California. 
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