Cactus culture for amateurs

276 Pages·1889·13.37 MB·English

by  Watson W.

CACTUS
CULTURE
for
Amateurs

C C a
aCtus ulture for mateurs.
Fig. 1.—A COLLECTION OF CACTUSES.
Frontispieece.
C C
ACTUS ULTURE
F O R A M A T E U R S :
BEING
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE VARIOUS CACTUSES
GROWN IN THIS COUNTRY,
WITH
FULL AND PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR
THEIR SUCCESSFUL CULTIVATION.
By W. WATSON,
Assistant Curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED.
LONDON:
L. UPCOTT GILL, 170, STRAND, W.C.
1889.
LONDON;
PRINTED BY ALFRED BRADLEY, 170, STRAND, W.C.
P R E F A C E .
THE idea that Cactuses were seldom seen in English
gardens, because so little was known about their
cultivation and management, suggested to the
Publisher of this book that a series of chapters
on the best kinds, and how to grow them suc-
cessfully, would be useful. These chapters were
written for and published in The Bazaar, in 1885
and following years. Some alterations and addi-
tions have been made, and the whole is now
offered as a thoroughly practical and descriptive work on the
subject.
The descriptions are as simple and complete as they could be
made; the names here used are those adopted at Kew; and the
cultural directions are as full and detailed as is necessary. No
species or variety is omitted which is known to be in cultivation,
or of sufficient interest to be introduced. The many excellent
figures of Cactuses in the Botanical Magazine (Bot. Mag.) are
referred to under each species described, except in those cases
where a complete figure is given in this book. My claims to be
heard as a teacher in this department are based on an experience
of ten years in the care and cultivation of the large collection of
Cactuses at Kew.
Whatever the shortcomings of my share of the work may be,
I feel certain that the numerous and excellent illustrations which
the Publisher has obtained for this book cannot fail to render
it attractive, and, let us also hope, contribute something towards
bringing Cactuses into favour with horticulturists, professional as
well as amateur.
W. WATSON.

C O N T E N T S .
PAGE
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . 1
Botanical Characters . . . . . . . . 4
Cultivation . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Propagation . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Epiphyllum, The Genus . . . . . . . . 38
Phyllocactus, „ . . . . . . . . 44
Cereus, „ . . . . . . . . 57
Echinocactus, „ . . . . . . . . 88
Echinopsis, „ . . . . . . . . 128
Melocactus, „ . . . . . . . . 137
Pilocereus, „ . . . . . . . . 143
Mamillaria, „ . . . . . . . . 148
Leuchtenbergia, „ . . . . . . . . 184
Pelecyphora, „ . . . . . . . . 188
Opuntia, „ . . . . . . . . 191
Pereskia, „ . . . . . . . . 219
Rhipsalis, „ . . . . . . . . 225
Temperatures . . . . . . . . . . 234
Dealers In Cactuses . . . . . . . . . 237
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239