THE CACTUS 97 



task of removing the spines from the cactus 

 would be a very arduous one. 



It is true that there are small species of cactus 

 that are spineless, or nearly so, that have been 

 familiar for generations. One of the first pets 

 of my childhood days was a thornless cactus, a 

 beautiful little plant of the genus Epiphyllum. 

 There are also members of the Cereus family 

 that are thornless, showing not a trace of spine 

 on any part of the plant or fruit. 



But the cactus plants that are thus unprovided 

 with spines were without any exception small and 

 inconspicuous species, and also with a bitter prin- 

 ciple so disagreeable that cattle generally refused 

 to eat them. So the plants offered no possibili- 

 ties of direct development through selection that 

 could promise the production of varieties that 

 would have value as forage plants. 



Meantime the large varieties, in particular the 

 members of the genus Opuntia, which have pecu- 

 liarly attractive qualities of size and succulence 

 are thickly studded with spines for the very 

 reason, doubtless, that were they not thus pro- 

 tected they could never have maintained ex- 

 istence in regions inhabited by the jack rabbit, 

 antelope, and buffalo. 



If the problem of securing a spineless cactus 

 of value as a forage plant to reclaim the deserts 



-Vol. 6 Bur. 



