May 3, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N .S.W 331 



■ of tlie wheel in discharging the chup. If the cutter is run with an engine 

 i;his force delivers the chop into a waggon, but horse-power and unsteady 

 feeding make the motion less uniform and necessitate the shovelling of the 

 chop. This machine, it is claimed, will chop 20,000 lb. of pear an hour. The 

 spines become thoroughly broken up in passing through it, and, being lighter 

 than the pulpy material, ai-e largely winnowed out when the chop passes out 

 of the machine. A platform and feed chute can be constructed similar to 

 that described in connection with the tirst machine. 



Other machines are reported in this same bulletin to be very efficient. 

 There is little about them to wear out, and they ai-e said to last indefinitely. 



Steaming Pear. 



I do not know when the process of steaming prickly pear was begun in 



Australia ; I saw it on the Upper Hunter dui-ing the (h-ought of 1902, and 



have no doubt it was in use long before. Following is a note, dated 28th 



February, 1906, on the brick-kiln method in the Upper Hunter, which had 



then been in use some years : — 



I have forwarded a specimen of prickly pear prepared for feeding cows by a local dairy 

 farmer. The process adopted is to prepare a hole in the ground, on the same principle 

 as a brick-kiln, lighting the fire underneath so as to steam the pear with the moisture 

 from the plant. 



As may be noted, this method seems to fairly successfullj' dispose of the small prickly 

 spines and large spikes. I may add that it is served with bran or pollard, and Mr. 

 Gardiner (the dairyman) claims that, prepared in this way, it is a good substitute for 

 ordinary fodder. — John S. Cheesbrodgh, Inspector, Muswellbrook. 



In the next article will be given a brief account of the method adopted in 

 the Camden district. An object is to soften the relatively powerful spines, 

 and also the irritating spinules, which are really more troublesome to stock 

 than the spines. I have known a little washing soda added to the pear to 

 soften the spines. 



Following is a note from U.S. Bulletin No. 74 (190.5), showing that the 



steaming process is in use in the United .States : — 



So far as known, Mr. J. M. John, of Hoehne, Colo., is the onlj' rancher who has 

 practised steaming cactus for cattle in this country. Mr. John discovered, by accident 

 and without any knowledge of Australian practices, that the spines became innocuous 

 when moistened for some time. He happened to use the plants in the construction of a 

 dam, which soon washed out. Upon repairing the dam it was discovered that the 

 spines of those plants which had been kept wet were perfectly harmless. This suggested 

 that hot water or steam would accomplish the purpose in a much shorter time. Acting 

 upon this suggestion, he fitted up a tank and boiler, which happened to be on hand, for 

 the purpose of steaming the cactus. The tank employed was an open one, holding two 

 loads, or, approximately, 6,000 lb. of cactus. In order to prevent the loss of heat as 

 much as possible, corn chop, which was to be fed with the cactus, was poured upon the 

 top of the loaded vat. This mixture was steamed for about ten hours, allowed to stand 

 one night, and fed in the morning, with good results during one or two winters. It 

 should be stated that all of the liquid was lost. This was a pure experiment, adapted 

 to local conditions, and material convenient for the operations. The form of tank, the 

 length of time, and the consequent expense of keeping up steam, could be greatly 

 improved upon. 



Pear as Ensilage. 

 An article by Mr. W. L. Boyce, Lochinvar, entitled " Prickly Pears as 

 Fodder," appeared in this Gazette for April, 1897 ; in it the writer gives an 



