CACTEiE AND THEIR CULTIVATION. 
3 
This capacity of remaining inactive for long periods of time, 
and then being easily restored to growth and flowering, accords 
well with the natural situation of the plants, and is also of much 
service in their artificial culture. Upon the dry and sterile places 
in which they most abound, the rains are not only inconstant in 
their seasons, but adverse currents of the atmosphere and other 
circumstances may deprive them of rain for a whole year, or 
even longer. When this is the case, the Cactese do not die, but 
merely remain inactive till the rain comes, and when that does 
come, they very speedily start into growth, and soon produce 
flowers. The point has not been fully ascertained, at least to the 
extent which is desirable, but the probability is, that the growth and 
flowering are more energetic in proportion as the plants have been 
longer in a state of inactivity ; and thus it is likely that the rare 
flowering of species such as the night-flowering Cereuses, is owing 
to keeping them in a state of partial activity, either by watering 
them when they are in a state of repose, or from the moistness of 
the air occasioned by the watering of other plants mixed with them 
in the green-house or dry-stove. In the proper management of 
such a stove, the Cactese, of whatever species they may be, should 
be kept as far apart as possible from such plants as require fre¬ 
quent watering all the year round ; because their rest is disturbed 
by the vapour thence resulting, and consequently their awakening 
into growth and flowering is less vigorous. During this time the 
green-liouse, or other place in which the plants are grown, should 
be kept as dry as possible, both in the moisture in which the plants 
are potted, and in the air by which they are surrounded. While they 
are thus in a very dry state, they are subject to little injury from 
variations of temperature, unless the degree of cold is very near 
that of freezing, and this they will not bear. Therefore they must 
be kept in houses, to protect them from showers and from the 
moisture of the atmosphere, as well as from this dangerous degree 
of cold ; but still rather a low temperature during the time of 
rest is most favourable to their vigour when they come into action. 
When this takes place, the temperature should be raised, and 
water supplied, so as completely to drench the plants, but by no 
means to stagnate about them ; and if those different modes of 
treatment are properly timed, there seems every reason to believe 
that all the species could be brought into flowering every year; 
and as many of the flowers are exceedingly beautiful, and all of 
