THE CACTUS 151 



The improved fruits are also rapidly gaining 

 in popularity in the markets. When shipped 

 to the east they bring about the same price as 

 the best oranges, and the fact that they can be 

 produced at a fraction of the cost of growing 

 the orange should give them importance from 

 the standpoint of the orchardist. 



Reference has been made also to the fact that 

 the fruit has excellent qualities for making pre- 

 serves and jams and jellies. The scarlet and 

 crimson varieties have value in supplying color 

 matter for other fruit preserves, ices, and con- 

 fections. 



This newer vegetable pigment, with its beau- 

 tiful shades of color, should largely supplant the 

 objectionable aniline dyes that are now so gen- 

 erally used to color ices and confections and 

 nonalcoholic beverages. 



THE FOOD VALUE OF THE "LEAVES" 



In countries where the cactus grows abun- 

 dantly, it has long been known that its young 

 slabs make a palatable form of greens when 

 cooked. 



In recent years some scientific experiment- 

 ers have made the attempt to test the food 

 value of the leaves of the partially improved 

 cactus. 



