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SOME IITTERESTIITG EASTS ABOUT CACTI AITB OTHER 
SUCGULEUTSc Margaret Sackville Sainer. 
A succulent is any pla.nt which is endowed by Nature with thickened 
leaves and sterns and provided with water storage to withstand drought- 
The earliest forma in the story of evolution are natives of the tropics 
and will stand plenty of rainl'all and rich soil. Members further along 
show grea,ter and greater adaptation to arid conditions. 
Succulents are to be found among some fifteen or more plant families 
of which the large cactus family is but one. 
Cacti are native to tae ? Americas and tlieir adjoining islands. 
Germany is a gr eat. headquarters for both pl^ts aiid seeds as the Germans 
have -been the most interested ?.nd enterprising collectors in the amuost 
.inaccessible tropical jungles and highest mountains of all the South 
.American countries and Mexico. ^ ’ 
Cacti are knovn by both common and scientific names. Comrion names 
are very descr iotive,, such as ''Creeping Devil’’> ”V/alking Cane” Devil s 
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full equipment 
h in ” f 
'’D?pe- 
Pincushion” "Devil’s lingers” "Deril’s Eishhook”, in fac _ _ 
■for the . devil in his pursuit of us. Others are ''Strawberry Cactus” 
C’Hedgehog"; ’’Rainbow” "Cow’s Tongue”, "Barrel”, ’’Button”, ”.^ea Urc 
"Bishop’s Mitre", "Old Man", ”Cld Lady”, ''Old Man’s Little Boy” 
’organ’’"Pencil", "Rattail", etc. 
Many of the most beaut.iful flowering' species propagated by grafting 
come from Brasil, because they come from belbv/ the Equator their flower¬ 
ing seasons come in our Pall and W.inter which makes uhem most welcomR 
sojourners in our homes mid gretnhous:ee, as mo6i< of our U.S. aiid Mexican 
species are taking a period of reet at this time- \ 
Among the foregoing are the Thaaksgjviiig. Chr'istmas and EasteA^^ 
flov/ering "crab" -and "lobster’' species 'and Lpiphyllums. 
"Plov/ers in the Epiphyllums are a ioot across and of colors ^.nd 
shades not found in any other one fa.mily of plants” so.wrote the late Dr. 
A. D.Houghton, an author it}^ a^id writer of booKs on cacti. He continued: 
"The cacti contain rAore. and greater beauties of adaptation than^the 
Orchid, larger flowers t'nan the Iris., and more beautiful colorings whan 
the Rose. Gaotus spines are someuinies of such beauty ^as to rival uhe 
'.feathers of the Bird of Paradise, as in Neomam'niD.laria plumosa. ' 
Cactusitis, a well known disease, once it fastens itself on a per- 
.'son,,. is never cured. Some collectors are devoted to obtaining all^the 
members of one genus, others wish general collectionn cf varying types, 
some build up wonderful collections of grafts, others g:o in for photo¬ 
graphy of plants and flowers, soine wish to raise their cac ti i rom^ sised 
which requires an .untold a 2 ''iount cf patience and optiiaLsm, while others 
iiot limited by space wish only the ia,rgest and finest specimen plants 
obtainable of all species. 
There are some sweeies in South ATterica which i^row so large and 
'their woody growth •is'*'so strong .that trunks and limos are used -tir 
supports-in rain&St Still a cactus but extremely small even ajrong . 
miniatures are Goiue mature plants v;hich average 2 ins. ivi height and 
are slightly stouter than a pencil. , . ^ 
Successful growers of cacti s.nd the other succulents nave learnea 
to strike a happy medium as to the amount of v/ater to be given yneiubers- 
of- the.ir collections. Kept in pots and frequently in the dry air oi 
steam heated apartments 1:hey must be given more water tnan tney ivouia 
receive in their native habitat. At the saiiie time one inus.. reinsJ/iber tnat 
they are not v/ater lilies. The moisture content of the air shouia re 
considered and the soil never allowed to become hone dry., ^ ^ 
Plant students are interested in the evolution of caoui from aiid 
their relation to other plant families. A slmubby c-liniber-- ores/cia _ _ 
pereskia-is khovm as the "Mother of all cactus”. It is the most primi- 
tive form and is generally uyed as grafting stock. A cactus shouio e 
grafted on a species in its own genus or of a genus further back •*-n . 
^ ■ . of Cereus are much used as 
evolutionary chain. Members of the big group 
they are early forms in this evolution. 
Enter ing Mexico at La.r edo, Texas, which is the Gateway >or al ' 
inobili sts .going into the interior, the first gian o memoer s of 
family arc seen north of Vic tor ia, Ta.rnaulipas, first as 
for fences but very soon as large trees twenty or more lect nign ai 
bearing hundreds of branches, sny one of which jnos’us 
specimen or show plant in this country. Tbis is t "-he 
■wl'iich produces beautiful blooms and edible iruits almos ^ t> 
pachveereua, marginatus is t'ae almost spineless "organo 
so freoiy about Mexico City and many other parts of tha > ^ rn-tall 
living fences sejiarating the little farmsteads. Each pluAi. ^ 
and straight like a post and a planting soon forms a barr^^er re p 
by man and beast. . ri 4 .o 4 -r-.a on 
The largest collection of'Mexican cacti in the United^ot ' . . 
display in the Shiner Cactus Nursery, Laredo, Texas,, ^ t+ 
on the'^ Pan-Aiju-r loan Highway, 3201 Hen Bernardo Avenui^. Visitor ^ 
p^irson or by qo mypondence are Welc ome. 
