Cultivation.—­Epiphyllums require the temperature of an intermediate house in winter, whilst, in summer, any position where they can be kept a little close and moist, and be shaded from bright sunshine, will suit them.  Remembering that their habit, when wild, is to grow upon the trunks of trees, where they would be afforded considerable shade by the overhanging branches, we cannot be wrong in shading them from direct sunshine during summer.  Some growers recommend placing these plants in a hot, dry house; but we have never seen good specimens cultivated under such conditions.  All through the summer months, the plants should be 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 and Manchester.