FLOWER GARDEN

CACTUS: How to Grow. If the cacti are to be grown in a room, a very light and sunny position in front of a window should be selected. In a greenhouse plenty of air and the avoidance of a damp atmosphere likely to result in success . The great thing is to get the plants to flower, as in almost all cases the blossoms are exceedingly beautiful. The chief points to be noted are: In the first place, never give a cactus plant a large pot—that is to say, always let it be rather small for the size of the specimen. Secondly, begin to water the plants freely in April, but keep the soil rather dry in winter. Thirdly, in the hot summer weather let the cacti simply bake in the sun, in order that all the shoots may become well ripened. Perfect pot-drainage is essential. Fibrous loam should form part of the soil, but nearly an equal amount of sand and brick rubbish should be added; moreover, each pot should be one-third full of drainage material. About April is the best time to carry out the potting of cacti. Raising from seed is a very slow process, and by far the quickest method of propagation is by cuttings. Practically any part of the stem will grow if the piece has been dried in the sun for several days before being inserted in admixture of loam, leaf-mould, and small crocks. The cuttings are potted up as soon as they are rooted. The following are the principal kinds of cacti:

Cercus Mamillaria Phyllocactus

Echinocactus Melocactus Piloccreus

Ecliinopsis Opuntia lihipsalis

Epiphyilum Vereskia

Most of the phyllocactus are very free flowering, and a splendid white-bloomed variety is albus superbus. The well-known red, so often seen in cottage windows, is also another useful kind of phyllocactus. The epiphyllums, many of which bloom in the autumn and winter, are very graceful subjects, being crimson, pink or white in colour. The genus cereus has amongst . it some free blossoming kinds.

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