

10 THE STORY OF CACTUS 

Root-rot is caused by too much wet heat at the roots of the plant. The 
quickest way this can happen is to have a cut in the cactus below the surface 
of the soil. The planting of cuttings fresh from the mother plant will rot in 
nine times out of ten. Another quick way is too much water. If the soil is 
kept wet for any length of time, the water will cause a soft spot to form at 
the roots. This will spread and in a few days, the plant will die. “An ounce 
of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” so do not plant fresh cuttings and 
do not water the plants too much or too often. If you get root-rot cut off the 
affected part of the plant above the rot. Be sure no rot part is left as it will 
continue to spread after the plant is unplanted. Lime sprinkled on the cut 
part of the plant will help the cut to heal. Semasan will also help. Powdered 
charcoal and flowers of sulphur will act instead of lime but not so quickly. 
If the roots are affected, cut them all off close to the plant. This type of 
root-rot is not to be confused with Phymatotrichum omnivorum or Ozonium 
Root-rot which kills cotton. It has been known to kill certain species of cacti but 
for the most part it does not attack the plants and in very few cases can it be 
inoculated into any but a few opuntias. Phyma means a skin tumor and that 
is just what Ozunium Root-rot is and it is caused by a fungi, one of the family 
Mycelia sterilia. There is very little ome can do for it except amputate as it 
kills in a very few days and one has very little chance to save a plant unless 
they see it before the rot has started into the plant proper. Burn all affected 
parts. 
WHEN TO FERTILIZE 
Although cacti will get along pretty well without fertilizer, it will do better 
with a little, but one has to use great care in feeding these plants. Never 
give too much commercial fertilizer as it will burn the plants. The best is 
from a cow-lot and should be at least a year old. If no aged fertilizer is ob- 
tainable, a good plan is to use manure water. Dr. L. H. Bailey in “The Farm 
& Garden Rule-Book” gives the formula, one bushel cow manure to 100 gallons 
of water. Allow this to soak a couple weeks and then drain off the top water. 
This will not damage the most tender cacti if not too much is given the plant. 
We have used Vigoro on some of our plants and had very good success but 
don’t put it too close to the roots. 
MAKING NEW SPECIES 
One of' the finest pastimes we know of is hybridization or making a new 
species. This must not be confused with pollinization as most cacti are self 
pollinizing. That is, they all have a female element called stigma and male 
elements called pollen and as soon as the pollen enters the ovule, it is carried 
down to the ovary where conception takes place and the ovule quickly becomes 
a seed which is a little flower lying dormant only waiting for spring, soil, 
and a warm rain to break into two cotyledons, which is a baby cactus. In 
hybridization, all the above must take place but with the male element of 
one plant and the female of another kind of plant. When the flower is partly 
formed, take a pair of fingernail scissors, cut an opening through the sepals 
and petals, disclosing the interior without touching the filaments or style. Now 
take a fine hooked wire and pull out all the filaments and remove all anthers, 
making sure you do not leave any pollen behind. Then place a bag over the 
flower large enough for the flower to open. (We use cellophane so we can see 
the flower.) When the stigma is moist, take a few filaments from another 
species of cactus and sprinkle the pollen from these on the style, then tie up 
the flower again and number it, keeping all data as to names of parent stock, 
date of pollinization, etc. If the style is dry for any cause, take a drop of 
honey and a like amount of water and mix these. A little placed on the style 
will encourage fusion. The seeds will produce plants that are different from 
both the parent plants in either size, flowers, spines, shape or color. When 
one finds a cactus which has a tendency to produce larger flowers when crossed 
with another, it is advisable to use this plant with as many others as possible. 
Mendel proved that all characteristics in a plant were caused by a combina- 
tion of genes which are inherent (in equal amounts) from the parent plant 
(in each seed). Now a cactus that has genes that cause it to grew tall, the 

59 Coryphantha neo-Mexicana and C. echinus. 62 A Dallas, Texas garden. 
60 Planted one inch pots. 63 The writer’s garden. 
61 The writer plants a dish garden. 64 Ten year old Saguaros. 
