HEDGE HOG CEREUS 
(Echinocereus pentalophus) 
In the spring and summer these clustered small plants hurst 
forth in a riot of brilliant multi-colored blossoms 3" to 4" 
in diameter. They form a group of almost 100 species of 
small growing beautifully flowered cacti found in the West 
and Mexico. I have some fine clusters at 50c. Smaller plants 
25c. 
View in a Cactus Seedling House 
This is one of my specially designed cactus houses 
where thousands of seedlings are growing. When tiny 
they require expert care but when we ship them they 
are big enough to take care of themselves and you 
will find them amongst the easiest of all plants to 
grow. They are planted outdoors before they are 
ready for you and become vigorous and strong in 
our sunny Southern California climate. 
Cacti will thrive in any sunny window or apart¬ 
ment and need a greenhouse only when they are tiny. 
Many of our friends have plants that are over 20 
years old that have always grown in a window. 
Observing Old Men Cacti 
Everyone is interested in these beautiful white haired 
Cacti. I have thousands of them like those pictured 
here and get just as much pleasure observing them 
today as I did when I possessed my first plant. There 
are many new kinds now, most of them coming from 
high mountain regions. 
Copyright by Harry Johnson, 1938. 
CACTUS 
Strange Plants from all over the World 
Moderately Priced and Guaranteed 
Where Seedlings Are Started 
You will enjoy a trip through our nurseries for here 
the Cactus Fan would see all the strange varieties 
from desert and jungle growing together. In the 
greenhouses above they spend their first years. Then, 
when they are old enough, they are planted in out¬ 
side beds. This assures you of clean, healthy plants 
that will give a good account of themselves in your 
window garden. Well established Cacti with vigorous, 
busily rocts. 
How You May Grow Cacti 
All you will need to start this most fascinat¬ 
ing hobby is a place where you may set a pot 
or bowl. The bowl does not need to have a 
drainage hole so that it will not ruin a table 
top. Some gravelly soil from the roadside to 
plant them in or your florist will be glad to 
pot them for you. Any of the plants offered in 
this catalog are suitable for the beginner and 
all of the collections offered are made up with 
the beginner's needs in view. I will help you 
in every way to have success even to guar¬ 
anteeing to replace any plant you lose during 
the first 30 days. Read my full guarantee 
opposite. 
How Cacti Grow Wild 
True Cacti are found only in the Americas. 
The many similar plants found growing in 
Africa, such as the Starfish Flowers and 
Euphorbias, should be classed under the gen¬ 
eral heading of "Succulents." You will find 
them described near the back of this catalog 
and they make a most interesting company, 
with many of the oddest and most curious 
plants among them. 
Generally speaking. Cacti are plants of des¬ 
erts or semi-deserts. They are enabled to with¬ 
stand the heat and lack of water principally 
because they can store great quantities of 
moisture within their stems in a mucilage-like 
state. Covering the plants is a thick skin 
almost impervious to water and often an arma¬ 
ment of interlacing spines for further protec¬ 
tion. The feeding roots are near the surface 
and are covered with a spongy layer so that 
they pick up the least moisture that falls and 
quickly store it. Thus you see with their com¬ 
pact, round form they are well equipped to 
care for themselves. 
Our Western Cactus Deserts consist of range 
after range of ancient, craggy and treeless 
mountains separated by wide rolling slopes 
of gravelly soil sparsely and thinly covered 
with scattered bushes. For hundreds of miles 
beyond the purple and gold horizon the moun¬ 
tains rise in rich and rugged splendor. Strange 
as it may seem. Cacti seek the steeper slopes, 
preferring to snuggle in the soil pockets on the 
sun-drenched, boulder strewn mountain sides. 
Our Barrel Cacti in particular seek out the 
boldest, most exposed volcanic shoulders, de¬ 
lighting in the fierce burning heat of the mid¬ 
summer sun. 
Other types, principally from South Amer¬ 
ica, like cooler, shadier conditions, at least in 
our gardens. 
My Booklet, "How to Grow Cacti" 
To help you further, I have written a pam¬ 
phlet, amply illustrated, telling how to plant 
them, with notes on when to water, how to 
graft Cacti, how to care for them in summer 
and winter, how to plant in Strawberry Jars, 
etc. Sent FREE with every order. 
HOW WE GROW CACTI 
I am sure you would find it extremely inter¬ 
esting to visit our nurseries and see the tens 
of thousands of cactus plants that we are 
raising yearly from seed. Much of the seed is 
sent to us by our collectors, who gather it 
from wild plants after long and dangerous 
trips into the little known deserts of South 
America. 
It generally takes from two to several years 
for the tiny seedlings to reach a suitable size 
and during this time they require expert care. 
After they are big enough to set out they de¬ 
velop their protective mechanisms and can 
then withstand much abuse. Practically all of 
our desert cacti are grown outdoors in the 
sunshine without heat, which gives them a 
vigor and hardiness scarcely to be found else¬ 
where. 
/ 
THEY TELL ME 
CACTI MAKE 
MARVELOUS 
HOUSE PLANTS 
GROW SO 
EASILY 
EVEN WHEN 
NEGLECTED 
Yes , 
AND PLANTED 
IN COLORED 
POTTERY BOWLS 
THEY BRIGHTENED 
UP MY 
LIVING ROOM AND 
KITCHEN UNTIL 
YOU WOULDN'T 
KNOW THEM 
GUARANTEE 
I guarantee to send you the finest of healthy, 
vigorous plants, true to name. My plants will 
come to you in perfect condition for planting, 
and if any plant fails to grow and I am noti¬ 
fied within 30 days of shipment, I will replace 
it free of charge, customer to pay shipping 
charges only. 
If customer wants replacements sent by par¬ 
cel post sufficient postage must be enclosed 
to cover mailing. Any surplus will be re¬ 
turned. Unless postage is sent no replace¬ 
ments will be made except with further orders 
when they will be sent free. 
MY SHIPPING TERMS 
I guarantee you against damage in the 
mails. A post office "bad order" report will 
bring prompt free replacement. 
FREE DELIVERY 
Orders for $1.00 or more shipped FREE. 
Orders less than $1.00 add 15c for packing 
and postage. 
REMITTANCES 
Make all Checks, Postoffice and Express 
Money Orders payable to Johnson Cactus Gar¬ 
dens, Hynes, California. 
California customers by law must add 3% 
State Sales Tax. 
C. O. D. We do not ship C. O. D. 
HOW WE SHIP 
All shipments are made by Parcel Post, 
packed by experts in strong boxes and well 
insulated. They are further plainly marked: 
"Rush-—Perishable." 
No substitutions unless authorized. 
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