THE CACTUS PEAR 21 



has already been accomplished toward this in the 

 reduction of the size of the seed as just referred 

 to, and in the best of the newer varieties the seeds 

 have at last been wholly eliminated. The seeds 

 are not collected at the center of the fruit as in 

 the apple and pear and allied fruits, but are dis- 

 tributed somewhat evenly through the pulp, after 

 the manner of the seeds of the watermelon. 



But as we have seen in connection with other 

 plants, the seed is about the last thing that the 

 plant is willing to relinquish, for the excellent 

 reason that it is an all-essential part for the prop- 

 agation of the species in a state of nature. But 

 the cultivated cactus plants do not need their 

 seeds, and as some of the newer varieties have re- 

 linquished them, others will follow in due season. 



A specific account of the methods through 

 which this was brought about, together with a 

 detailed description of the origin of the spineless 

 cactus itself is given in another volume. 



Eighteen thousand pounds of cac- 

 tus fruit to the acre has been found 

 to be a common crop on even the 

 poorest soil, and twenty to thirty 

 tons per acre of the improved 

 varieties have been grown. 



