154 LUTHER BURBANK 



Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, and in other 

 parts of South and Central America and 

 Mexico. 



The new Opuntias differ from almost every 

 other plant, and may be said in a way to re- 

 semble canned food, in that their food content 

 remains in perfect condition on the plants year 

 after year until needed. Nothing more is re- 

 quired than to plant the Opuntias, and fence 

 them against the encroachment of animals. It 

 is not necessary to cultivate them, although it is 

 advantageous during the first two or three years, 

 nor need any attention be paid them until their 

 slabs are needed. 



They would thus grow enormously and when 

 the occasion arose they would supply an almost 

 indefinite quantity of food to meet the needs 

 of a population that otherwise must die of 

 starvation. 



The value of a plant that need not be culti- 

 vated and needs no preparation yet which will 

 perpetually hold in reserve a colossal quantity of 

 food per acre, constantly adding to it (the an- 

 nual increase being measured in scores of tons), 

 offers a refuge to populations that are threat- 

 ened with years of drought and failure of cereal 

 crops that is not duplicated by any other food 

 produced hitherto under cultivation. 



