

This little book is intended to help the beginner in cactus lore. 
There is a widespread opinion that all spiny plants are cacti 
and that such plants grow only in deserts and on rocky hillsides. 
This is far from being the case; not only do many cacti have no 
spines, and many plants not cacti have spines. but many cacti grow 
in rich soil where rainfall is heavy. 
The writer hopes to avoid using many botanical names as much 
as possible, also to avoid using common local names as such usage 
leads to confusion. 
Step by step he hopes to lead the layman, thus:— 
What is a cactus? 
How did cacti get their name? 
How did cacti originate? 
Where do cacti grow? 
Types of cacti. 
Parts of a cactus plant. 
The spines and their use. 
Cactus culture. 
Growing cacti from cuttings. 
10. How to grow cacti from seed. 
ll. Care of cacti in cold weather. 
12. The cacti garden. 
13. Planting cacti in bowls. 
14. Diseases and what to do. 
15. When to fertilize. 
16. Making new species. 
17. Naming cacti. 
18. Cactus, its uses. 
19. Best cacti for the house. 
20. Dictionary. 
(All following numbers refer to photographs) 
We wish to thank those who have helped in the preparation of 
this little book and especially my wife, Clara (Lea) Leasure, for 
the food recipes and my daughter, Mary Elizabeth Leasure, for 
the pen and ink drawings and Mr. J. G. Gerlach for the photo- 
graphs on both sides of the back cover and Dr. W. W. Waite for 
two of his photographs, and Mr. J. Edgar Hoover for the photo- 
graph of his desk. All other photographs by the writer. 
This little book is dedicated to Mr. W. S. McMath who made 
it possible. 
DONDE WNE 
Copyrighted by J. H. Leasure. 



