FEATURE eARJDBM. 
\ - Desert Plants 
V jf herever one may wish to adopt one of the desert 
Mr jt Ms Yuccas, Sotols, Agaves or Opuntias into the gen- 
era ^ scheme of planting, one finds a surprising list 
s lljga f of variations from which to choose in what is usu¬ 
ally thought to be a strictly limited class of plants. Be sure, how¬ 
ever, that this type of plant fits into the plan and that they are 
truly desired and admired, for very few bear transplanting easily. 
Cactus, especially, seldom survive the second or third season. 
Many gorgeous specimens have been dug, most of which have 
died, for contrary to the popular belief, many are fully as slow 
in growth as forest trees, and as difficult to move with perma¬ 
nent success. They have as many pests and diseases and possibly 
more, than any other family of flowers. Greenhouse varieties often 
become covered with plant lice and scale, which may be con¬ 
trolled by a special spray containing denatured alcohol (the for¬ 
mula published by Desert Magazine ), while out-of-doors, even 
the sturdiest, the Opuntias, often become infested with many kinds 
of bugs and lice. The large bugs that so deface and injure them 
may be controlled by a five per cent solution of kerosene emulsion. 
Yet when Opuntias do live, their blossoms are as lovely as any 
tropical water lily. Of these there are many varieties that propagate 
easily (see page 221) from cuttings and other methods, some of 
which are most strange. 
The Opuntia seed pods, even, when stuck into sand while green, 
will sprout; and often small particles of the plant will become 
detached, taking root where they drop. Sometimes these are car¬ 
ried considerable distances from the parent plant by their light¬ 
ness and the buoying effect of the wind against the long spines. 
Probably the most universally grown of all the large Cactus 
Range of 
Choice 
Propagation 
189 
