ture. From the fan ihai iipniiiias ilcairiNli In-st iii 

 regions where ex]u-i-inMiii:il li"i-iii-iilturf n-crivrs litth- 



or no attention, the iIimIu|. 111. lit ,if ilcsirahle iTiomir 



varieties has not l)een what misht be expected of phiuts 

 which respond so readily to cultivation and selection, 

 and which may be hybridized with so little difficulty. 



Botanically considered, the fruit is a kind of berry, 

 varying from dry to Hesliv and succulent. Morpho- 



Iogi( alU It 1-. a modihtd sti m with thi true >.( od capsule 

 sunkm into its iipi\ hence it hears li i\ts md spines, 

 and 11 iiill\ uu 1 1 lilt il h conditions md trununtU in 

 til. It becomes detichid will bud 



;iii ' 111 cutting 



h 1 cult by the aborigines of 



\ii II discover\ md were early 



ii! i I I rers to Spain and Spanish 



il I the world After becoming 



.1 \zoies and Madeira islands, 



II IV 1 (ulture p\tenrl<d to Portu- 



.,ui, ■-, I , I I ( th. Alediter- 



otb. r [ 11 

 times th 

 South W 



have 



I Iter 



^lnl I 

 ters the _i( it \ iii iti ii i 

 soil and climatu conditi 

 which natural hvbrids oi 

 cultivated and intioduc I 

 considerable liti i it n i 



Pisr Baiberr\ l-i. I 



but 



fruits 



The two most widilv distributed and extensiveh cul- 

 tivated are O b Kiis Tndua AviHO Jinin T hesc plants 

 have often b( tn (cmfuscd h\ auth r Mii li rli it has 

 been written under the name of one | Ins 



to tht other lhe\ areiloseh Imki 1 i-. 



and each has been in cultivation i 'd 



that numerous cultuial \arieties li I r- 



ticularlv m Mexico ind bicih It i , i the 



manv cultn ited form- of both species oritm itcd fiom 

 the same source 



Although the Mexicans and Indians eat the truit of 



OPUNTIA 

 more than a score of indigenous species, the two named 



alilr ill iiiM^t ri's|if.-i-. t.. . ' /■ : ! )W fewer 



ami <liialli'l- ^|iili.s ami , .; ■ ; ' I li.- latter, 



this plant are to be seen at many of the; old Spanish 

 missions in Arizona and California, where they were 

 priibaljly first introduced into the United States. O. 

 Ficii.s-indica is frequently grown by the Mexican popu- 

 lation of New Mexico, Arizona and California. In south- 

 ern Florida it has escaped from cultivation and become 

 naturalized. The fruits are usually larger and fewer- 

 seeded than in O. Tuna, and are commonly yellow. They 

 frequently measure 3 or 4 in. in length and 2-3 in. in 

 width. Forms of this species about the old missions of 

 southern California vary considerably. One form, 

 known as rinin rnh.rijdn, has .in insipid, lightcrimson- 

 colorfil fniif, wliil. nii.atirr, 'r<'v,t ia,r,isr, has a yellow- 



77.. / / . . ... .. .^-These two 



Oiain:,., ,. I , ... .1 . 1. .sely allied ones, 



art- iM.ii-ii. iv i;r..>Mi 111 M. M.... Thr fruit begins to 

 ripen in -June and .Inly, wliile tlie later varieties last 

 until December. The fruit is consumed by all classes 

 and conditions of people. The fine bristles which invest 

 the fruit are usually removed before picking by rubbing 

 them with straw, grass or leaves. The fruit is later 

 picked by the hand, or, in some instances, with wooden 

 tongs. In large plantations, when the fruit is raised for 

 commercial puri.nsis. it is usually harvested with a 

 heavy knife, il,. ti . .ii;iiriri first cutting oft the joint 

 bearing the ti"- ' ' i-. • l.t aching the separate fruits. 



In prepariiiL .1 li.. table, a thin slice is cut 

 from each iinl ; 1 i. through the paring, join- 

 ing the cut -..1:.. . - II iliiii p."iring is easily sepa- 

 rated from til. :il) I. .11 jiii'v i.ulj). and quickly re- 

 moved with til.- liiiL.'. r^. 



To-day tli._- tin. -t ( ipuiitia friiit~ an- grown in Sicily, 

 where they an- ..n. ..1 ti... iii..-t iiii]...itaiit crops that the 

 island pro'du.. -. I'r.in .liil> i.. .\..v.iiilier the peasants 

 live almost iniir. I\ ..n tlii- fruit, and considerable 



of which finds iis way t.. N.m V..rk ami other American 

 cities. It is grown ixt. n-i . ]\ l.\ t).. Arabs throughout 

 northern Africa, and f..rn.- an iiii|. .itant part of their 

 food for a portion of . a. h n .1 



Nutritive Value of I h. /,.../. II.. nutritive value of 

 this fruit ranks high, a;, sliuwn by tliu following analy- 

 sis by Wolff: 



Per cent 



T)ry substance 2] .60 



Ligneous matter 3.70 



Proteid substances •''!) 



Fatty bodies l.SO 



Yield per .Irr.. — It has tieen ascertained that some 

 of the best van 11. - ,.!• .|.al.le of producing on lean, 

 sandy or r.. 1 .it..l for growing ordinary 



crops, as iiiu. I - -. if fruit per acre. When 



we consider th m iii- ;- . .lal to2,.i00 lbs. of sugar, as 

 well as other vahiai.le i.a.d con.stituents, it may be 

 readily seen that the food value from the standpoint of 

 nutrition is considerable. 



Method of (7«//h)c'. — Plantations are usually made on 

 dry slopes of hills, as the plants do not thrive where 

 there is much moisture or on heavy clay soils. Joints, 

 cut or broken from the plants, are used instead of seeds, 

 and are planted at distances of G to 8 ft. in furrows from 

 6 to 15 ft. apart. No tillage is practiced, as they grow 

 rapidly, and in a few years shade and smother out 

 all other growth. Before planting, the cuttings are 

 exposed in half sunlight from seven to fifteen days, 

 that they may partially wither, in order to facilitate 

 rooting. 



An important advantage in the culture of these plants 

 is the regularity of the yearl> crop. They begin to bear 

 in about three' years after planting, and continue in 

 bearing for many years. 



Of the Opuntias indigenous to the United States, none 

 as yet have been growm for fruit, or with an effort to 

 improve them. O. EngelmaiDiii has a large but poorly- 



