syringed both morning and evening; but by the end of August they will
have completed their growth, and should, therefore, be gradually exposed
to sunshine and air.

It is advisable to discontinue the use of the syringe from September
till the return of spring, but the plants should always be kept supplied
with a little moisture at the root and in the air about them during the
winter months. In this respect, these plants and the Rhipsalis are
exceptions among Cactuses, as all the others are safest when kept dry
during the cold, dull weather between September and April. The soil most
suitable for them is a mixture of peat, loam, and sand, unless a light
and fibrous loam be obtainable, which is, perhaps, the best of all soils
for these plants, requiring only the addition of a little rotted manure
or leaf-mould, silver sand, and some small brick rubble. The Pereskia
stock is not a stout-rooted plant, and does not, therefore, require much
root-room, although, by putting in plenty of broken crocks as drainage,
the soil space in the pots may be reduced to what is considered
sufficient for the plant. If small pots are used, the head of the plant
is apt to overbalance the whole. The stems should be secured to stout
stakes, and, if large, umbrella-like specimens are wanted, a frame
should be made in the form of an umbrella, and the stem and branches
fastened to it. Smaller plants may be kept in position by means of a
single upright stake, which should be long enough to stand an inch or
two above the head of the plant, so that the stoutest branches may be
supported by attaching a piece of matting to them, and fastening it to
the top of the stake. In the remarks upon grafting we mentioned the
large pyramidal specimens of Epiphyllum which are grown by some
cultivators for exhibition purposes; and, although these plants are much
rarer at exhibitions now than they were a few years ago, yet they do
sometimes appear, especially in the northern towns, such as Liverpool