from Texas and California to Peru and Brazil;
they are in greatest abundance in Mexico, whence most of the garden
kinds have been introduced. The conditions under which they grow
naturally vary considerably in regard to temperature and soil; but they
are all found in greatest numbers and most robust health where the soil
is gravelly or sandy, and even where there is no proper soil at all, the
roots finding nourishment in the clefts or crevices of the rocks. As a
rule, the temperature in the lands where they are native is very high
during summer, and falls to the other extreme in winter, some of the
species being found even where frost and snow are frequent; the majority
of them, however, require what we would call stove treatment.

Turning now to a consideration of those kinds known as garden plants, we
find that comparatively few of the species known to botanists are
represented in English collections, though, perhaps, we may safely say
that not one of the kinds known would be considered unworthy of
cultivation except by those who despise Cactuses of whatever kind. Their
flowers are conspicuous both in size and brilliancy of colour; and in
the curious, grotesque, and even beautifully symmetrical shapes of their
stems, one finds attractions of no ordinary kind. The stem of E. Visnaga
shown at Fig. 48 may be taken as an instance of this--apart from the
cluster of star-like, bright yellow flowers seen nestling upon the top
of their spine-protected dwelling, the whole suggesting a nest of young
birds. This plant is indeed one of the most remarkable of the
Echinocactuses, owing to the size and number of its spines--which are
3 in. long, almost as firm as steel, and are used by the Mexicans as
toothpicks--and to the gigantic size and great weight of the stem. The
following account of a large specimen of this species introduced to Kew
in 1845, is taken from an article from the pen of the late Sir Wm.
Hooker in the Gardeners' Chronicle of that year. This gigantic plant was
presented to the nation, in other words to Kew, by F. Staines, Esq., of
San Luis Potosi. Such was its striking appearance, that it was stated
that, if exhibited in the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, some hundreds of
pounds might be realised by it. In a letter from Mr. Staines, here
quoted, our readers will perceive how difficult it often is to obtain
living specimens of these plants from their native habitats. He writes:
"I mean to have a large specimen of E. Vi