Page:The Amateur's Greenhouse and Conservatory.djvu/226

208, first, because the plants will suffer if roughly handled on account of their fleshy texture; and secondly, because their terrible spines and bristles inflict painful wounds on hands that approach them rudely. When a cactus is turned out of a pot remove the old soil from the roots and repot firmly, the base of the plant slightly elevated so that the earth will slope down from it all round, and steady it with a few sticks thrust in so as to prevent it toppling over. If you have any difficulty in getting the roots into the pot without crowding them, cut away all the smaller ones and any of the larger roots that appear to be dead or dying. If you can place them on a gentle hot bed at from 75° to 85°, they will make a good start after the potting, and will soon require water, but it is good practice to withhold water until they begin to grow. If well potted they may stand in the same pots three years. It is a great risk to employ manure in the preparing of a compost for the cactus, for although they will take to it and grow freely, they will be likely to rot in the ensuing winter.

Many of the kinds of cactus produce offsets freely, and to make plants of them is the easiest matter in the world. The cylindrical kinds may be cut from in May, and the cuttings should be put in sand in the full sun until they begin to form roots, and should then be potted and have the advantage of a gentle bottom heat. In case of requiring speedy increase of any of the globular kinds that refuse to produce offsets, cut the tip off and lay it on sand in the full sun until rooted. This will form a plant, of course, and then in time a number of offsets will be produced by the decapitated plant. They may be variously grafted on one another, but when the amateur arrives at that stage of practice he will have done with such a humble elementary book as this.

.&mdash;A few good plants may be found in this genus as C. velutina, C. coruscans, and C. decussata, for example. They appear to live by their leaves more than their roots, and hence must be extra well drained and potted in a sandy compost. About a sixth part of old mortar of the size of peas may be added with advantage. These plants have acquired increased importance of late owing to the success that has attended their employment as bedding plants associated with sempervivums, echeverias, and sedums, in what is called “carpet bedding;” they are also worth attention as window plants.