A USEFUL WILD FRUIT 



By Charles Francis Saunders. 



SOME years ago, when visiting an old Franciscan Mission in 

 Southern California, I cut a joint from one of the plants 

 of a cactus hedge planted there generations ago by the Mis- 

 sionaries, and, bringing it home to Pasadena, set it out in my 

 garden. It was of the Mexican species, Opuntia Ficus-Iiidica, 

 the Indian fig or prickly pear, famous for its pleasant flavored, 

 pyriform fruit. My single slab has now become a good sized 

 plant and has proved an interesting addition to the garden, 

 both because of its lovely flowers and its luscious fruit. The 

 latter ripens in September, and. when mature, is 2 to %y 2 inches 

 in diameter by about 3 inches long, and of a pale straw color. 



The outer surface of the "pear" is dotted at intervals of 

 about half an inch with tufts of tiny bristles which, if touched 

 even lightly, transfer themselves to the picker's fingers to his 

 great annoyance. When handling the fruit, therefore, it is 

 well to wear a stout glove; but, when growing high, it may be 

 gathered, as is the custom of the Mexicans, with a pole to the 

 end of which a nail is fixed transversely, acting like a hook. 

 With this the fruit is spiked and pulled loose. The bristles are 

 then removed by brushing with a bunch of grass or a piece of 

 burlap, and with a knife a section is cut off each end of the 

 "pear" and a narrow slice made vertically down one side. 

 Then, by pressing back the enveloping rind at the vertical slice, 

 the edible interior is neatly released. This is a juicy, sweet, 

 refreshing pulp, about the size of a duck's egg, and only inferior 

 to an equal amount of watermelon in the fact that it is pitted 

 with numerous small, hard seeds, which are best spat out. 



