THE CACTUS 155 



Even if the new spineless Opuntias had no 

 other function than this, the time and labor de- 

 voted to their production would obviously be 

 repaid a millionfold. 



IMPORTANT BY-PRODUCTS 



There is one curious property of the slabs of the 

 Opuntias that to some extent militates against 

 their popularity as foodstuffs. This is the fact 

 that the leaves contain a mucilaginous substance, 

 the quantity of which, however, varies widely 

 with the different varieties. 



The varieties that contain less of the muci- 

 lage are used by the Mexicans for the making of 

 confectionery. Some of the finest confections of 

 Mexico are canned cactus leaves. 



The leaves also make excellent pickles, the 

 only drawback to which is the presence of the 

 mucilage in the case of some varieties. Those 

 that lack the mucilage make pickles as fine in 

 flavor as the best cucumber pickles. 



On the other hand, the mucilage, while unde- 

 sirable from one standpoint, is not without its 

 value. It may be extracted by cutting the 

 leaves in thin slices, and placing them in water. 

 One or two slabs will make a gallon of good, 

 thick, perfectly transparent mucilage. When 

 this substance dries slowly, it produces a gum 



