Imperial press and farmer., 1902-11-01
Cactus Culture.

published in city that owns a park-Albert s. White Park-that con tains collection of cacti said to be larger and more complete than any other collection in the State, gives some data on the subject that is very interesting. It says
 "Yes," said Mrs. J. E. Barrows, a cactus collector, as we were looking over the collection of which she is justly so proud, "I call him my old man. He is a harmless old fellow and makes me very little trouble. He sits in the window all day, basking in the
 an. H e is harm less cid fellow and I received him that l just gave him a good washing with soap and water, and then brushed his long, white hair with a tooth brush. Now he presents quite a respectable and dignified ap- pearance. you sec I may add that he is quite a traveller, having come all the way from an interior desert ot Mexico"
 The "Old Man" cactus is one of the curiosities of plant life which always attracts attention. Certainly 1t pre- sents strange appearance The en- tire upper portion of it's stem is GOV cred with long silvery white hairs, lending to the plant a peculiar and startling resemblance to the hoary head of an aged man. These hairs, instead of projecting rigidly as in other members of the pilocereous fam +D inh hn hp1OnQG soft and flexible, and thlckly clothe the stem. The plant commonly at taines the height of 4 feet. It Is be- lieved that there. are only two specl- mems of this rare work of nature Ill one of her freakish moods in exist ence in Detroit-and they are sons of the same father.
 It is only within the last four years that cactus culture, from being sort of pet hobby with number of rich plant amateurs in England, such as the Dukes of Devonshire and Bedford has developed into popular craze both in Britain andAmerica. Nor is it at all surprising that to lovers Of the curious and beautiful cacti have come as a boon, says the Detroit Free Press.
 There is peculiar fascination to most people, who know aught of them, about these curious plants; with some the accumulation of a collection has become a real passion almost lmpossl- ble to control. The flowers of many of the varieties of cacti are magnifi- cent. There is the true cereus grandiforus for, instance, the superb "queen of night"-were anyone to get one blossom in a season he must feel we'll repaid for the slight trouble the plant has caused. Frequently a flower measures three feet in circumference, which may actually be seen to unfold it's hundreds of petals, eXhaling at the same time the most exquisite perfume. Many others of the cereuses bear flow CTS of nearly equal size and some are yet more beautiful. There is lovely pink night blooming cereus-but it is rare and very costly. Then there is, too, the rainbow cactus, so named not only on account of it's beautiful spines, but also because of the many brilliant colors displayed by it's flowers, which not infrequently measure six inches across.
 In some cacti the seed pods eclipse the flowers. In one species for in stance there is an inconspicuous flower which is followed by the bright est kind of coral red berry, remaining on the plant for months. Some of the larger ones will be surrounded by a perfect circle of these brilliant red beads. The seed pod of one rare va t.int1r ic, nornnnlln tn thn ta Sfl fnllN