OWING to our comparative exemption from severe frosts, cactuses are much more easily grown here than at the north. Yet many of the choicest varieties must have protection from sun and rain in summer and frost in winter. A notable exception to the first part is Per eskia aculeata. Most people who are familiar with the odd forms and leafless stems of the cactuses common in cultivation would fail to recognize this plant as a member of the family. It is a strong, vigorous grower, of climbing habit; but the most marked peculiarity is the fact that it is abundantly supplied with true leaves. Owing to the size, shape and general resemblance of these leaves, the plant has received the name of "Lemon vine" in South Florida, where it is quite common.

It blooms profusely, the flowers being borne in dense clusters on the ends of short branchlets, which start from the axil of each leaf along the stems. In appearance they closely resemble small single roses, except that they are cup-shaped, not opening out flat, as is usual with single roses. The color is white, not the dead white of snow, but a clear, waxen, almost translucent white. Like a large part of the cactus family, the blossoms of the pereskia are very fugacious, opening in the morning and closing before night. They have but little fragrance - that of a single blossom would hardly be noticeable ; but when a large plant is in full bloom there is diffused through the air a mild but pleasant perfume. In a frostless climate this would be one of the most satisfactory climbers that could be grown. It is evergreen, a strong, vigorous grower, blooms freely, and will stand more drouth than anything else except a cactus, and on ordinarily dry soil does not suffer from the excessive moisture of our rainy season.

The only drawback to its cultivation in this state is its susceptibility to frost. When nearly dormant the old stems will stand several degrees of frost without serious injury, but if growing freely, they will be killed to the ground at from 260 to 280 above zero. Yet if the roots and lower part of the stem are well banked up with earth in the fall, the former will survive a severe freeze, sprout quickly on the return of warm weather, and make a luxuriant growth.

In contrast to the pereskia, which grows so well in the open ground, the different species and varieties of phyllocactus must be grown under shelter to protect them from sun and rain, as well as from frost. Most of them bloom freely, and the blossoms are usually very showy.

Within the last year I have had blossoms upon several curious varieties of cactuses that are not common in cultivation, and are still more rarely seen in bloom. About two years ago I received from a friend three little offsets of some species of cactus without any name. They were almost round and very small, none of them being over 1¼ to 1½ inches in diameter. The three were potted in one four-inch pot, in rich soil. They grew quite rapidly, and by May, 1889, were from 2½ to 2¾ inches in diameter, and about 2½ inches high. About that time the largest of the three bloomed, and proved to be Echinopsis Zuccariniana. For several weeks after its first appearance the bud seemed to be merely a little point covered with black woolly hairs; but towards the last it grew very rapidly. When it bloomed, the tube of the flower was about six inches long. The flower itself was pure white, and from 3½ to 4 inches across when fully expanded. There was a little fragrance, but only a very little. It began to open just before sunset, and was fully open by eight o'clock p. m.; it began to close about daylight, and by eight o'clock a. m. its beauty was gone, and it hung limp and withering on its stem. These plants were kept dormant all the past winter and until quite late this spring.

They were then repotted, and have not yet bloomed this season.

Another cactus rarely seen in bloom is Rhipsalis sali-cornoides. This is quite a long name for a very small plant. It lacks what is considered the special distinguishing characteristic of the cactus, viz., thorns. I hare several plants of this species; the two largest, two years old, bloomed in February. The tallest, nearly 10 inches high, had 16 blossoms; the other plant, just 6 inches high, had 30 flowers. The main stem of the largest plant is almost a quarter of an inch in diameter. There are numerous sub-divisions of the stem - branches they would commonly be called - composed of joints varying from one-half to seven-eighths of an inch in length, and in diameter from one to three-sixteenths of an inch.

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The rhipsalis tribe is closely related to the opuntias and the flowers are very much like miniature "prickly pear" blossoms, except that they are longer than broad, and do not open out so flat. They are borne on the tips of the upper joints, and are orange yellow in color. Each one, when expanded, measures about three-fourths of an inch in length by about one-half inch in diameter. Being so small, one flower would not attract any special attention, and a half-dozen do not make a great display. But as a curiosity, the plant deserves a place in every collection.

This list by no means includes all the curious and beautiful species of cactuses that have bloomed here within the past year. All members of the family are curious, and they are becoming deservedly popular. No other class of plants is so easily grown, or gives such good results for the small amount of care required. I would specially recommend for trial as a house plant, Pereskia aculeata. It will not give as satisfactory results when grown in a pot as when planted in the open ground in our warm climate; but if given rich soil and plenty of sunlight, I believe it will fully repay all the care required to grow it.

St. Johns Co., Florida. W. C. Steele.