118 LUTHER BURBANK 



cultural Department of Washington scoured 

 the earth to find such a variety. 



These, indeed, are Opuntias fulfilling every 

 specification of spineless forage plants of reason- 

 able hardiness, great adaptability as to soil and 

 easy culture, and enormous productivity; and 

 they are wonderful fruit producers as well. But 

 they are the result of a most arduous series of 

 , experiments in plant development, and they con- 

 ' stitute new races, entitled to the rank of new 

 species if ordinary botanical standards are to be 

 accepted, that have been developed here, and 

 that, so far as there is any evidence, had never 

 previously existed anywhere in the world. 



Their descendants have gone forth to begin 

 the reclamation of the arid places of many lands, 

 and also to be grown with profit even in the 

 most expensive agricultural lands, especially for 

 feeding with other forage crops. But in no land 

 will they come upon a cactus from any other 

 region that closely resembles them in their com- 

 bination of entire spinelessness and inviting 

 forage qualities. 



PARTIALLY SPINELESS MATERIAL 



Yet it must be understood that the various 

 specimens of cactus that have been sent me from 

 all over the world, many of which were utilized 



