Alexandria Gazette

Plants of the cactus family are principally confined to the Western continent, and although most abundant in tropical regions, some forms extend far into the temperate zone, and some species even have an alpine character. Back, in his northern expedition, saw with astonishment the banks of the Rainy Lake, in latitude 49° 40', entirely covered with the prickly pear (Opuntia vulgaris). Humboldt found on the Andes several species of cactus on elevated plains from 9,000 to upwards of 10,600 feet above the level of the sea. Some have even been gathered at an elevation of 13,600 feet. In size and height the different kinds present remarkable contrast. In Mexico and Arizona many kinds assume an arborescent form. Other kinds have a globular form, some with a diameter of three feet. and attaining a weight of 2,000 pounds while a cactus in South America is so small and so loosely rooted in the sand that it gets between toes of dogs.—Entomologist.