102 



In the extreme south of the Regency, in the neighborhood of holy Kai- 

 rouan, where droughts are rather the rule than the exception, for many 

 generations the Arabs appear to have cultivated for forage purposes the 

 spineless prickly pear. Magazine writers are very fond of attributing the 

 creation of this plant to the magic skill of Luther Burbank ; as a matter 

 of fact it has been in cultivation long before the American plant breeder 

 saw the light of day. This useful cactus, once well established, is said to be 

 altogether indifferent to the nature of soil in which it is planted, and equally 

 so to drought and extreme heat. I have myself seen it flourishing on the 

 summit of a ruined Roman aqueduct, some 30ft. to 40ft. from the ground. 

 The spineless prickly pear offers an abundant supply of succulent feed at 

 a time of the year when nothing else is available. The flat sections of the 

 stem are detached and chopped up into suitable slices ; apparently only every 

 other year, for fear of injuring the general growth of the plant. It seems a 

 pity that this spineless cactus should not have been given a trial in some 

 of our drier districts ; there is no doubt that in times of drought it would 

 prove of inestimable value. 



The making of ensilage appears to be officially advocated, particularly 

 in so far as adventitious rank spring growth is concerned. I could not learn, 

 however, that farmers had taken to the practice whole-heartedly. 



SULLA. 



Sulla, or as it is known here, Spanish or Maltese clover, Hedysarum coro- 

 narium of botanists, is a forage plant indigenous to Tunisia, as also to much 

 of the littoral country of the Mediterranean. Within recent years it has 

 received much attention in the Regency, and as it may possibly present 

 some interest for us, I have reserved for it a special place in the discussion 

 of forage crops. 



This plant, which is somewhat akin to sainfoin, is found growing spon- 

 taneously in the northern districts of the Regency, i.e., in districts in which 

 the mean rainfall may be said to vary somewhere around 20in. It is at 

 its best in rich alluvial flats, on which it makes strong rank growth, some- 

 times attaining to 3ft. and 4ft. in height ; whilst on dry hill slopes it is more 

 or less stunted, but still offers very good grazing. Like all leguminous plants 

 it appears to call for a good supply of lime and phosphoric acid in the soil, but 

 appears to be more or less indifferent to its humus contents. 



Sulla, like all the leguminosae, carries on its roots special swellings, in which 

 are to be found nitrogen-collecting bacteria, living in symbiosis with the 

 plant. It is stated that these bacteria are of a type peculiar to sulla, and 

 generally not to be found in soils in which the plant had not been previously 

 grown. In soils of this kind the growth of sulla is said to be very poor until 

 the bacteria have been artificially introduced. I notice that in Tunisia 

 it is recommended that when new land is being laid down to sulla, about 



