Cactuses
For singularity and grotesqueness of form, as well as for the
exceptional conditions under which they grow to the best advantage, no
class of plants is more remarkable than the Cactaceae. Of these, about
a thousand species have been described by botanists; nearly
all are
indigenous to the New World, though but a small proportion are in
cultivation. Cactuses delight in a dry, barren, sandy soil. They are
naturally children of the desert. It is said by travellers that many of
the species bear edible fruit, resembling somewhat in taste the
gooseberry. So much for the peculiarities of the Cactus family in its
native localities, but how can we succeed in cultivating the plants with
satisfactory results in the window-garden?
There are two simple methods of treatment that Cactuses should receive,
namely: First, keep the soil about them constantly dry, and keep them
in a warm place. Secondly, the soil should be of a poor quality, mixed
with a little brick dust, and they should never be allowed too much pot
room. If either of these two points are observed in the treatment of
Cactuses, there will be no difficulty in keeping them in a flourishing
condition all the time.
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Next: The Night-blooming Cereus
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