THE CACTUS 157 



that is generally white or of a pearly color, and 

 not easily dissolved in water. 



The mucilage is often used locally to mix with 

 whitewash, to which it gives something of the 

 permanency of a paint. It is also used at times 

 for stiffening sleazy cotton goods, and for water- 

 proofing cloth. 



Beyond this the economic uses of mucilage 

 have not been developed. But sooner or later 

 some one will find use for this by-product of the, 

 cactus, for the dressing on a large scale of 

 fabrics, or any one of the hundred purposes to 

 which mucilaginous substances are put. I have 

 made many tentative experiments to test the 

 qualities of the mucilage, but these have not 

 been carried far enough to produce conclusive 

 results. 



The Opuntias have possibilities of a quite dif- 

 ferent character, connected not with their juices, 

 or pulp, but with the woody fiber which makes 

 a network in the older leaves and which comes 

 to form the main substances of the central stalk. 



It has been found that this woody network, 

 when the pulp is removed, makes a clean white 

 fiber that is in the most beautiful condition for 

 paper making. The older stems and roots fur- 

 nish the fiber in considerable quantities, and 

 even the roots are available for the purpose. The 



