146 



DESCRIPTION OF FEEDING STUFFS 



According to Jaffa, 24 sheep and cattle have subsisted altogether 

 on salt bushes through an entire season, and sheep feeders and cattle 

 men report favorably as to their nutritive value when eaten in con- 

 nection with hay and grain feeds. 



Spineless cacti (species of Opuntia, Fig. 26) and prickly pears 

 are desert plants used as a forage for cattle in cases of emer- 

 gencies, and occasionally in a limited way as a regular forage crop. 

 There are many varieties of cacti used for this purpose, some with, 

 some without spines. The former are generally singed with a spe- 

 cial gasolene torch before being fed to farm animals, while the 

 latter are fed directly, either whole or after being run through a 



FIG. 26. Spineless cactus yields large crops of a very watery feed under favorable con- 

 ditions; it is greatly relished by cattle and hogs. 



cutter. There is no material difference in the chemical composition 

 of the two kinds of cacti. In the case of either kind the composition 

 of the plants will vary according to the parts analyzed. The older, 

 somewhat woody stems contain less water than the young, succulent 

 joints. Cattle appear to prefer the more mature joints, and doubt- 

 less derive the greater amount of nutriment from these. Spineless 

 cacti will contain 75 to 92 per cent of water (average about 85 per 

 cent), about 0.9 per cent protein, 2.6 per cent fiber, 14.7 per cent 

 nitrogen-free extract, 0.4 per cent fat, and 4.2 per cent ash. As 

 might be expected, the ash content and the nitrogen-free extract 

 are very high, while protein is relatively low; it is, therefore, a 

 starchy feed and has a very wide nutritive ratio. 



24 California Bulletin 132. 



