[1] Died in 1878. The Century Co. published a small volume of his poems a few years ago. This poem has never before been printed.—Ed.
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| From col. Chi. Acad. Sciences. | CACTI. ½ Life-size. | Copyright by Nature Study Pub. Co., 1898, Chicago. |
THE CACTUS.
PROF. W. K. HIGLEY.
BECAUSE the Greeks in olden times applied the word Cactus to a prickly plant, Linnæus, often called the Father of Botany, gave the same name to our wonderful American growth and since his time these strange and varied plants have borne this nomenclature.
We can hardly imagine any group of plants more interesting. There are over eight hundred varieties of curious and unexpected forms, bearing tubular or rotate flowers most varied in size and color—white, pink, purple, yellow, crimson, deep red—all beautiful and fascinating, and in our Northern country, protected in the conservatories. The Night-blooming Cereus is most renowned, most admired of all.