June 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 409 



2. In February, 1908, I visited, by invitation, the dairy farm of a well 

 known gentleman in the Camden district (the late Mr. F. W. Downes, 

 M.L.A.) who had been utilising the local pest pear for twelve months 

 previously. So far as I know, the food value of this pear is much the same 

 as that of the Indian fig pear [Opuntia fius-indica). 



To convey the pear he used slides 5 feet 6 inches long and 4 feet 6 inches 

 wide. One slide filled half a 400-gallon tank, these vessels being cut into 

 two for the purpose of preparing the pear. These half tanks stand on bricks, 

 with a fire underneath, and the pear becomes more or less cooked, a little 

 water being used. Three bran bags loosely packed with lucerne hay, 

 and also 8 bushels of bran are provided for each two half tanks. At feeding 

 time the cows were yarded, and a heaped-up kerosene tin of the above pear 

 was put into each cow's trough. The cows were then admitted into the 

 stable. There was no confusion. Each cow deliberately walked to her own 

 particular trough, ate every particle of pear, &c^ and then licked her lips for 

 more. 



There is no doubt that this pear mixture is palatable to the cows ; to 

 what extent the pear alone is nutritious it is impossible to say, from the 

 above experiments. I asked the enterprising owner some time afterwards : 

 " The pear is a food ; do you like it on your property, or would you rather 

 be without it V He replied at once, " I would rather be without it." 



One other testimony may be quoted, that of a farmer nearly .300 miles 

 west of Sydney : — 



I have cultivated Opuntia ficus-iridica for pears as feed for stock, and find that cattle 

 keep it eaten down till it dies if allowed unrestricted access to it, and I consider it a 

 useful fodder plant.— John Allisox, " Fresno," Dubbo, 11th March, 1914. 



A Texan Method. 



The following account of the experience of Mr. J. C Glass, a Texan stock- 

 owner, as recorded in U.S. Bulletin No. 74, p. 39, may be usefully compared 

 with the experience of one or two of the farmers and pastoralists quoted 

 above. Except in certain districts, we in Australia probably do not know 

 how to feed prickly pear to stock : — 



1. The feeding was begun after cattle had begun to die. 



•2. Feeding was practised to keep cattle alive, not to fatten tbem. ' 



3. The pastures were worked continually, and a watch was kept for weak cattle. 



4. The stronger cattle in the feed pens were constantly being replaced by weaker ones 

 from the pastures. 



5. From 1 lb. to 1^ lb. of cotton-seed meal was fed to each animal, in addition to all 

 the chopped pear it would eat. 



6. All except the very weak cattle were allowed the run of the pastures. 



It will be seen from these statements that the stock obtained some feed in addition to 

 the pear and meal, even from the brush pastures where they were dying before the 

 feeding began. No attempt was made to do anjthing but keep t)ie animals alive 

 until the drought was broken. An effort was made, however, to give the cattle all 

 the pear they would eat. As nearly as can he estimated, therefore, 80 acres of 

 excellent pear furnished a full ration for an average of 800 head of cattle for a period of 

 six months. 



