152 LUTHER BURBANK 



The cactus leaves when fried are a substitute 

 for some of the poorer vegetables. Tender 

 leaves should be selected, the skin peeled off, and 

 the plants fried rapidly in butter. Appetizing 

 preserves may be made from the fruit, some- 

 what after the manner of apple butter. The 

 fruit itself may be dried and thus preserved for 

 winter use. 



With the production of 25 to 50 tons an acre, 

 there is opportunity to preserve the fruit on a 

 commercial scale, if a sufficient market for it can 

 be developed. 



To me it seems that the cooked fruit lacks 

 the fine flavor of the raw fruit. In general the 

 fruit may perhaps be served to best advantage 

 as a salad. But I have on several occasions had 

 jars of delicious jams, made from cactus fruit, 

 sent me from different localities. 



The fact that the fruit of the perfected Opun- 

 tias contains a high sugar content, amounting 

 sometimes to from 12 to 16 per cent, makes it 

 obvious that this plant might be used for the pro- 

 duction of methyl alcohol. The slabs may be 

 used for the same purpose, and the enormous 

 productivity of the plant would make amends 

 for the comparatively low percentage of fer- 

 mentable starch in the composition of the 

 slabs. 



