June 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.SM. 407 



Chats about the Prickly Pear* 



No. 4. 



J. H. MAIDEN, I.S.O., F.R.S., F.L.S., 

 Government Botanist and Director, Botanic Gardens, Sydney. 



Prickly Pear as Stock Food — {continued). 



A FEW extracts from reports by stock-owners as to the value or otherwise of 

 pear for feed may be of interest at this stage. They were mostly addressed 

 to myself, and were written during, or within the recollection of, droughty 

 times. They are the opinions of experienced men, but while they were valid 

 at the time they were written, it does not follow that they would express 

 the opinion of the writers to-day. Some of the reports in regard to pest pear 

 are unfavourable and some are favourable. 



Perhaps I might explain that at one time I could see but very little or no 

 good in pear ; now, I find more good. I do not say it is a first-class fodder 

 by any means, but I do say that it possesses certain properties in this 

 direction which should encourage us to combine pear-feeding and pear- 

 clearing in the same operation. We have a good deal to learn yet as to the 

 best appliances to use in handling pear — chopping it, burning, &c. — and 

 how to wisely feed it to stock. We do not even know the breeds of cattle 

 which will flourish best on pear, though in Southern Italy they have found 

 a Holstein cross do well on it. 



1. Scone, N.S.W. — During the 1902 drought we were feeding between 1,000 and 

 1,200 cattle, out of which we lost 500 or 600 head. We do not think much of it as a 

 food for cattle, and if we had not discontinued using it we would have lost the lot. Re 

 treating of the pears — first, we cut all the tender leaves only and carted same to a large 

 dam where we had four 400-gallon ship tanks cut in halves, which we used as boilers. 

 We put the leaves of the pears into these tanks, together with a little rock salt, and 

 boiled same for four hours. After that time we took out and let cool ; when cool we carted 

 and spread out in paddock for cattle to eat. They soon got tired of these and we then 

 tried tbem mixed with molasses, but it did not have tlie desired eflect. The majority 

 of cattle that died, when opened, contained a big ball of the pear fibres. — Bakewell 

 Bros. 



2. Municipality of Muswellbrook. — In reply to your inquiry re the value of the 

 prickly pear as a cattle food, I have to state that a prominent local dairyman, Mr. Jas. 

 Wilkins, writes that he has been using prickly pear as fodder at different times during 

 the past fifteen years, and prepared it in three ways, viz., by roasting, boiling and 

 steaming, and is convinced that if dairy stock be fed on pears so treated before they get 

 into low condition, they will not only live but milk fairly well. The best results are 

 obtained by " chaffing," or cutting the pears into very small pieces. Stock will not 

 fatten on this food, but after being sustained on it they will quickly improve in 

 condition when supplied with more nutritious fodder. 



The Mayor (Mr. Alex. Weidmann), who has also had experience with the pears as 

 cattle food, states that good results are obtained by mixing the pears with hay, lucerne, 

 chaff or pollard. The greatest objection to the pears when not cut small is the fact that 

 cattle thus fed experience much difficulty in chewing the cud, on account of the fibrous 

 nature of the plants. This drawback may, however, be obviated by chaffing the pears. 



The Council did not clear the common of pears by the residents using them for fodder 

 some three years ago, as the demand was not equal to the supply, but for some weeks 



