99 



Tim old stumps with a little corn will fatten cattle very last. We burn oil' tin*, thorns 

 in {wiling it, but most stock-raisers do not. The apples ripen about the 1st of July 

 and are eaten by almost every tiling. Hogs get fat euough upon them to render into 

 lard when the crop is good, and it seldom fails. 



A. J. Spencer, Uvalde, Tex. : 



It is eaten by cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs. They eat it mainly as found on the 

 range, though sometimes the thorns are scorched off. It is considered one of the best 

 native forage plants, especially to carry these stock through the long droughts that 

 occur occasionally in western Texas. It is a partial substitute for water for all stock 

 that eat it. The only injury I have known to result from eating it has been to sheep, 

 and then only when eaten while frozen. 



S. S. Jamison, Burnet, Tex. : 



It is used extensively in the southwestern part of the State, especially by Mexicans, 

 for wintering work-oxen, cows, and other cattle upon. The thorns are scorched oil' 

 before feeding, and no harm results from its use unless it be too great a laxuess at 

 times. Only one kiml is used as far as I know, but it varies in height in different 

 localities. In this country it grows from 6 inches to 2 feet. Farther south it grows 

 taller. 



Prof. George W. Curtis, College Station, Tex.: 



It is used quite extensively for cattle and sheep. The prickles are singed off, or the 

 whole plant is boiled and fed, mixed with bran. Only the Opuntia vulyarix, and per- 

 haps a variety of the same, are used, so far as I know. I have no positive knowledge 

 of any injury to stock from feeding upon it, but from its purgative nature I should 

 be afraid that it might cause abortion in pregnant cows. 



Has your attention been called to the use of the prickly-pear cactus as a lubricant? 



Certain of the Western railroads have used it with excellent results. It is gathered 

 in Texas, shipped to St. Louis, ground up coarsely, and pine tar added to keep tho 

 albuminoids from decomposition (I do not know whether anything else is added or 

 not), after which it is barreled and returned. The total cost is 2 cents per pound, 

 and it is said to do the work of C or 8 cents' worth of grease and rags formerly used. 

 It is especially useful in preventing and cooling hot boxes. If this comes into gen- 

 eral use it will open a new field of production. 



Leonard A. Heil, San Antonio, Tex. : 



The cactus, or prickly pear, grows abundantly in nearly every section of south- 

 west Texas, often reaching a height of 10 or 12 feet. Ever since tho settlement of 

 the country by the English, and probably years before, it has been used to supplement 

 grass in times of drought, but now it is being used with other feeds at all times, and 

 especially in the winter. Sheep do well upon it without water, there being sufficient 

 moisture in the "eaves. The herder goes along with a short sword and clips tho 

 points of the great leaves, so that tho sheep can insert its nose, when it readily eats 

 them entire. 



Dr. A. E. Carothers, an extensive ranchman of Cotulla, La Salle 

 County, Tex., began feeding prickly pear and cotton-seed meal to four 

 hundred head of steers for the purpose of fattening for the market, and 

 at the last account was highly pleased with the result and confident of 

 financial success. He singes off the thorns with a flame, and cuts up 

 the pear and feeds it mixed, in troughs, with the cotton-seed meal in 

 the proportion of about 5 pounds of meal to 70 pounds of pear. The 

 steers eat this food with great relish and take the food rapidly. They 

 have about a 2,500-acre Md to run in, If this method of feeding prove* 



