_io Dec, 1909.] Tilt Prickly Pear. 763 



-txperiments cnnducted 1)\ himself and others. His conclusions may be here 

 translated. Thev are as follow : — 



■"I. Young vines, from the time they are planted until they are three years old 

 should receive good ordinary cultivation.* The first roots, in fact, all originate deeply 

 and it is of the highest importance to facilitate the aeration of the layers in whicti 

 they develop. 



'■' 2. As regards older vines, experience has proved, so far, that shallow cultivation 

 is prefeiable to deep in all soils which are compact, moist or medium. It must not 

 be forgotten that it is only fullv effective when' it prevents the growth of weeds. 

 Shallow cultivation has shown itself equally advantageous in sandy coast soils, very 

 dry at the surface, but where the water level is usually found at small depth. 



On the' other hand, the calculations we have made, and experience show, that in 

 •dry, pebbly, penetrable soils where the water level is deep, where for this reason, the 

 roots tend to establish themselves in the lower levels, deep cultivation is still indicated 

 and should give better results than systematically shallow working.'" 



Root prnning frequentK has a beneficial effect on the yield — it is 

 well known that one of the first effects of phylloxera is to cause the vines 

 (in the first stages of the invasion) to bear a very heavy crop of grapes. 



The exact border line where interference with the root svstem bv 

 cultural implements would begin to exert an injurious influence is difficult 

 to definitelv fix. In these matters common .sense is the best guide and. 

 in a general wav, it mav he said that the cutting of a considerable number 

 of surface roots of vines which had previously only been ploughed shallow 

 would have an injurious influence on the vegetation during the following 

 season. In moist di.stricts the cutting of surface roots, to any extent, is 

 to be avoided. In arid districts it will be better to prevent the forma- 

 tion of surface roots by a fairlv deep ploughing at least once a year from 

 the time the vines are quite voung, supplemented, of course, by the usual 

 spring and summer scarifying. 



tup: prickly peaji. 



Senator Jomes H. McColl. 



The September issue of the Jcmrnal of Agriculture contains an article 

 on the Prickly Pear, which purports to give an account of the facts 

 definitely known in regard to this plant. One authority onlv is quoted 

 in the article. The Farmers' Bulletin, Xo. 72, of the U.S.A. Department 

 of Agriculture. It is, however, somewhat ancient, having been issued in 

 January, 1898. This Bulletin was on " The Cattle Ranges of the South- 

 west, the Exhaustion of the Pasturage and Suggestions for its Restora- 

 tion,"' the only reference in it to the Prickly Pear being the one quoted. 

 The spread of the pear was but one of many reasons given for the ex- 

 haustion of the pasturage, but no reference is made to getting rid of it, 

 it being stated " it was, on the whole, detrimental to stockmen," inferring 

 that, to some extent, it was of use. It is strange that, in an ^.rticle pro- 

 fessing to give an up tc-date account of this plant, reference is made to 

 such an old paper, and all the later literature, which is of considerable 

 extent, entirely ignored. The limitation of space j)re\-ents me dealing 

 so fully with the subject as I would like, for much that readiU applies 

 must be omitted. 



Probably no plant has had such contradictorv opinions express^^d alxjut 

 it as the Prickly Pear. Reviled in one place, blessed in another, utilized 

 here, banned therc; bringing destruction in one countrv. proving the sal- 

 vation of the settler and his herd in another. Much has been written in 

 praise and in blame, but research and experience have increased knowledge 



* In tlie so-.itli of FraiK-e tliis wmilii be to a deptli of 7 H itnlits. 



