Sep. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 645 



Chats about the Prickly Pear* 



No. 6. 



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

 Government Botanist and Director, Botanic Gardens, Sydney. 



Pear as Stock Food in the United ^tdiies — continued. 

 C— Working Cattle. 



Pear for Fattening and Maintaining Cattle. — Under the above heading. 

 Dr. D. Griffiths, in U.S. Bulletin No. 74, p. 24, writes as follows:- 



Since the early days when teaming was much more extensively practised 

 than at the present time, the bulk of the pear feeding in southern Texas has 

 been done either to maintain stock or to prepare them for the market. While 

 feeding cactus to dairy cows and work oxen is common all over the pear region, 

 the amount fed for these purposes is insignificant compared with that usecl 

 for maintenance and fattening. By far the greatest amount is fed as an 

 emergency ration to kee^j cattle alive during a severe and prolonged drought. 



. . . . The rancher with small means is often caught with his cattle 

 so poor that lie cannot think of moving them to better pastures, even if he 

 has the means and can find the feed 



It is in an emergency of this kind that the prickly pear and other forms 

 of cactus become a boon to the rancher. It is owing to the existence of the 

 prickly pear that the success of the rancher in southern Texas is largely 

 due. A score of ranchers have acknowledged to tlu. writer during the past 

 year that were it not for pear they would have to move their cattle out of 

 the country once every four or five years on account of droughts. . . . 

 It is as good at one time as another, and can be fed by him at a couple of 

 days' notice under any circumstances, although it is the general belief that 

 it is much more valuable in winter than in summer. 



I Pear as a Ration for Worhi^ig Animals. — This is specifically dealt with 

 at p. 30 of U.S. Bulletin No. 74 (D. Griffiths). Following are extracts:— 



The animals best adapted to working on pear appear to be oxen. They 

 often work for months upon no other feed than dry grass, brush, and 

 prickly pear , Even now a large number of Mexican wood-choppers (with 

 bullock carts) in the extreme south-western part of Texas use no other 

 feed than pear and what grass or browse the country affords. Often the 

 grass and browse are very small in quantity. These people siinply scorch the 

 thorns off with brush, although many of them do not even go to this trouble, 

 as they simply slash into the plants with a machete enough to give the 

 animals a start into the clumps. 



A day spent upon the market plaza at Laredo (Tex.) confirmed the state- 

 ment which had been often heard regarding the large use made of pear by 

 Mexican wood-choppers. When the men are asked what they feed, the 

 answer invariably is "nopal" (prickly pear). One, of whom special inquiry 

 was made, stated that he was hauling wood 30 miles (round trip), making 

 two trips per week. His loads averaged three-fourths of a cord of mesquit© 

 tvood. His oxen grazed very largely on grass at that time, but the greater 

 part of the year they erot little besides nopal, the thorns being singed off over a 

 brush fire. His team was in good working condition. 



Effect of Pear on Stocl:— On p. 33, U.S. Bulletin No. 74, Dr. Griffiths 



remarks :- — 



The views of ranchers are so much at variance regarding many points 

 relating to cactus feeding that it is impossible to form a definite opinion 

 regarding many features of the practice. There is a comparative unanimity. 



