96 LUTHER BURBANK 



Even when the cactus still retained its spines, 

 the antelope would sometimes try to find a way 

 of getting at its juicy substance. I have heard 

 plainsmen tell of seeing the antelope holding in 

 its mouth a slab that had been dislodged, and 

 twisting its neck this way and that in an effort 

 to find an unprotected spot at which it 

 could nibble; and horses and mules sometimes 

 persistently kick the plants in their efforts to 

 obtain the nutritious substance of the leaves 

 and stems. 



Obviously the cactus had need of its spines if 

 it was to escape the unwelcome attentions of the 

 browsing animals that found such difficulty in 

 securing sustenance among the scanty herbage 

 of the plains and deserts. 



But by the same token it appears that if a way 

 could be found to take from the cactus its bris- 

 tling array of spines, the plant might be made to 

 supply forage in regions where other succulents 

 cannot secure a foothold. So the problem of pro- 

 ducing a spineless cactus was one that had but to 

 be suggested to anyone who knew the life of the 

 arid regions to make instant appeal. 



MATERIALS AND RESULTS 



It was obvious, however, to anyone having any 

 clear knowledge of plant development, that the 



