New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-06
CACTI COLLECTING.
A FAD THAT GROWS ON oNE-INDIvID-
UALITY OF THESE PLANTS

Not attractive? A cactus not interesting and
attractive? Why. there's nothing like IL; it's the
most wonderful plant in the word' insisted an
thusiastic grower at the Garden Flower Show last
night "Cacti do everything but talk. They do
walk Why, when I in Mexico last year I
found one growing in handful of earth that had
settled in hollow the rock. Nothing but cacti
could have kept alive such short ratons; but
they're used to starvation: they thrive on it, This
particular plant, however. seemed TO be of an en-
terprising turn OF mind. and wanted more room.
Down the rock, in the direction the heavy stalks
would naturally have fallen. the nearest patch of
earth was more than yard away. while above was
q fine pOcketful of soil: hut il quite out of
sight around the corner of q bowlder. How that
cactus ever found it is a mystery: but 1t twist
ed it's one long branch about in the most fantastic
way, almost breaking its joints to get around the
rock TO that earth. No human being could have
been more ingenious and persevering.
It's an intelligent plant. the cactus is. and if
you once get acquainted with it You won't care for
anything else. 1 know three private col
lectors. regular cactus cranks They'll pa! any
price for crested monstrous form-a freak
and they tend them if they were children
The fever usually attacks middle aged people. \
cactus is good company. they say. Young people
rarely care for them. They haven't enough pa
tience
SEVEN BLOSSOMS ON \ STALK
Yes We graft them very often. I've had
many different kinds of blossoms on one
plant The broad leafed Phyllocactus is about the
popular. II blossoms very freely and the
flowers are large and SNOWY. Originally there were
only about twelve varieties of the Phyllo-
cactus but have Ia more on the mar
ket- They are easily propagated by slips. but for
varieties cross fertze. There arc between
five and six thousand different kinds of cacti
known to growers. but only few sell for more
than so, S15 81. Some of the sorts, how
ever. up SEQ 300 in price. These are the
freaks. and some of the more uncommon sorts from
Chill. Paraguay and Uruguay. The milky kinds
usually come from Africa"
Here the enthusiastic grower speared the stalks
Of several with long pin, and out trickled the
thick milky sap
These" he continued. pointing out a gray.
Woolly. stocky plant, about foot i'll height come
from the Dead Valley, Colorado. The collector
never knows if he'll get back alive with one OF
these Their favorte home is about the great
cracks and assures in the earth. where deadly
gases constantly rising. They call 1t tho
grizzly bear there. on account of its harry gray
appearance
Natives make a number of uses Of the different
varieties of cacti. Here's the toothpick sort
round pudding like plant in shape bristhns Win
two inch spikes, very sharp AMI tough OF hore'
but easy to detach The Mexicans never use any
The spines on this are exactly ike = manuIacL-
and are almost unbendable for the unassisted
fingers The Indians of cactusand hsh WIN
whiskey. gnarled stumpy thing resembling
stone as much as plant The Indians c enc Nm, ms
can drink which is made by cutting OF the tall
hollow blossom stalk of the century plant and
letting the collect and dstin In its centre.
This forms greenish-white, sweet. thick liquid
which affects the drnker a combination Of bad
whiskey and opium might But IL brings high
prices and is much in demand
CENTURY PLANT AND ITS WAYS,
"A curious thing about the century plant. and
little known is that it will bloom at seven or
ten years Of ago II confined that it cannot
sucker send UP shoots from the roots. IL
allowed To sucker It will never bloom. This seems
10 be instinct or representation. for as soon
: the seeds riptn the towering plant dies. having
bloomed only once. II seems 10 realize that II
must swell the OF It's little world and
long il do this and live II is only too glad,
sprouting hundreds OF tiny rootets each year.
But denied this means Of increase il makes up its
mind at last 10 sacrifice its life. and sends up "A
stalk Of creamy blossoms twenty thirty feet In
it never sees another summer Plants which have
never bloomed sometimes live FOR a hundred aud
twenty-five years or more.
June is the time collectors usually travel for
cacu countries. and the plants be packed
excelsior and shipped without any danger OF loss
from mould rotting. A cactus live packed
in the dark for several months without either
more than fifteen years now. and I've spent many
a night rolled up Ia my blanket "A bed OF sand
with "A Stone perhaps for a pillow and snakes
wandering over once when l got a nights
lodging in a Cattleman's hut the rats the top
OF my shoes OF my feet. Snakes so bad
They are harmless enough-eVcn rattlesnakes-
when let alone. The salamanders. too, and
the blue and black scorpions peaceable little
things when not attacked They used to run all
in the Mexican cacu fields and I've never
been bitten. tacu collecting is tine sport, and any
on ''-''sS'''e 10 ''''''