Page:The Amateur's Greenhouse and Conservatory.djvu/225

Rh considerable dimensions by the following spring. E. rosea belongs to the bushy growing section: the leaves average three inches in length and half an inch in width, and towards the end of the summer the margin becomes of a brilliant carmine, which increases in intensity up to the middle of the winter. The tuft of flowers with which each stem is covered in spring is unique, beautiful, and curious.

All the echeverias should be potted in a rather light gritty and rich compost, as they require something more substantial than broken brickbats, which many think is so essential in the cultivation of succulent plants. A very suitable compost may be obtained by well incorporating together four parts turfy loam, one part decayed cow-dung perfectly free from grub, and one part of silver sand.

Very few cultivators are able to increase their stock excepting from offsets, which at its best is a very slow affair. All strike readily from the leaves, and also from seed. A considerable degree of care is necessary in handling the seed, as it is very small, like that of the calceolaria; and if buried too deep and kept either too wet or too dry, a very small proportion, if any, will come up. The soil with which the seed-pots are filled should be very light and sandy, and made perfectly level on the top; then scatter the seed thinly over the surface, and cover it with a sprinkling o£ silversand. A warm greenhouse will be the most suitable position both for the seed-pots and the young plants until they become well established. Leaf propagation is effected by snipping off the small leaves from the flowering stems, and then inserting them in cutting pots prepared in the usual way. It is necessary to insert the base of each leaf in the sand, and to prevent the leaves becoming loose thrust a small piece of stick through them, to fix them firmly in the soil.

.&mdash;Under this head we shall speak of the globular species of the great Cactus family, comprising Mammilaria, Melocactus, Echinocactus, Cactus, and Cereus. To grow them in brick rubbish is a mistake; they require a mixture of equal parts turfy loam and leaf mould, or if the last named material is not available, fibry peat must be mixed with the loam and about a fourth part of the whole bulk of silver sand added. The best time to repot them is from March to May. The operation requires to be carefully performed for two