16 LUTHER BURBANK 



He considers the fruit both nutritious and 

 healthful, and this estimate is universal in coun- 

 tries where it is largely eaten. 



It is the custom in Greece, especially along the 

 seashore, to collect the cactus fruits in the morn- 

 ing and store them in some cool place, either with 

 ice or in a basket of seaweed, which is said to 

 improve the flavor of the fruit. Both wealthy 

 and poorer classes eat the fruit at each meal 

 throughout the season, according to my informer. 

 So important is the cactus fruit regarded in 

 Greece that Professor Leotsakos assured me he 

 would make haste on his return to communicate 

 with the Government officials, that they might at 

 once take steps to obtain my improved varieties 

 for planting; for, of course, no variety of cactus 

 hitherto known approaches the new hybrid 

 species in quality or productivity. 



It appears that the cactus fruit is usu- 

 ally known about the Mediterranean as the 

 Indian Fig. 



In this country it has been commonly referred 

 to as the Prickly Pear. But now that the 

 prickles are marked for elimination, this name 

 will cease to be appropriate, and we may con- 

 veniently refer to the fruit as a Cactus Pear, 

 unless some more distinctive name should be 

 suggested. 



