fruits are 



tivated taste, but eaten 1 1\ i i i , j - . 



Wherever growu extcn-i ; 

 used for making a weak alr..i,..)i. Iiiik, Tlie juices of 

 tliK highly colored sorts are sf.nu-tiim-s used to color 

 confectionery. 



Opuntias as Forage. — Many of the Opuntias h;n . 

 considerable forage value, particularly during; poriofl^ 

 of long drought when other fonm'i- i-rop-^ nvt- vi,,,,t. 

 The range cattle of the southwestern ii n..! st ,t, . i,,,i 

 on either the branches or fruits, "i - i : ' il 



the indigenous species, the flat stiiii- I ' ' / 



and the pendulous fruit i-hisT<-rs ot ". /'/;/"/-' i" iml nn.^r 

 largely consunn-d. W In n > -iiin ii.d hiri^t-'ly upon -spiny 

 Opuntias the spin' i ■ t.- - often collect in their 



stomachs, form in i: Kr/oars. During years 



of scarcity of oi!, ■ _ -aiids of cattle die iu 



Texas, X.M M. a. where the cause a> 



signed i- ; iiity the direct cause <.f 



death lia- a the alimentary canal 



bytheiiu a- -I'in. - >a '.|-"iris. 



In noriloru Aira.a lio ilai jomts of the forms with 

 few spines are used as forage for cattle during the ilry 

 season, after being allowed to ferment slightly. In 

 Tunis, plantations are sustained by dairymen for tlio 

 purpose of feeding their cows upon the fleshy stems. 



O. Tuna has run wild to a remarkable extent in south 

 ern Africa. It has spread rapidly during the past ci-n- 

 tury, and in many places has crowded out the grasses 

 and become a nuisann:-. Two forms of the plant ar.- 



reCOgnizrii In !),.• In,I,'!i f.irii,. r- ; ; ] . ;i l!i,.rii;, \:irii'ty 



growiu;; - Mi,., 



with thlrk. I - - ,■, , !. ,■- :x, li: ,.•! h ;- |.r..;-aM'r 



that these iwo w.iiili. .- ..i I- ■ :. i|..i,iM -ana inlr..- 

 duction, for, according t.. .M \| , i!ir -. , ,1 tj.nn 



the Doornblad or KaalMa ; -i\.. rise i,. 



plants resembling either • i It is , \r. n 



sively used as feed for caiil. , .-: i :. la - and pigs, nitlier 

 alone or when mixt-d with i.itnr tinayc Here, howevtr. 

 much harm has coinf Ir.ni ran!4e cattle eating it in 

 times of little or if ^iln r Ina---. and ostriches becoint- 

 blind from tin- spun - and Inistli-s getting into their 

 eyes in .-aiin- il,.- i.air-. 



In Ni-w s,,,,|,|, \\ :d, - and Australia, where several 

 species lia\r .-rap'd ii<ini tnlti\ ation and spread over 

 large art-a- -d araidi- land an-l driven Out more valuable 

 forage plains, the laud has depreciated 50 per cent in 

 value. Here, however, some of the worthless species, 

 such as O. vulgaris and O. monneantha, are more 

 widely spread than the more valuable varieties of O. 

 Firus-Imlica and O. Tioia. 



Possible Improvement ./ /'t.^..,,! \ ^ni. ties. — From 

 what has been said it nia> ' ' - : . i' , ihat varieties 

 of O. Ficus-Indica and ('. / ; large crops of 



edible and nutritious finn . .: plants with 



and of II. : . , , , . /■,,,,,, ,. tliird, 



that Oliun: I- ,,!. ';.!: : _ ; ■ , - , 1 I, at Wll I trrow 



insituatam- i n ,. I, n ,, i .,...: ju i |.i,,ni liiiM-; fourth, 



that spiniK-.s toiiii.s malM .alual.k l..ia,i;i_. 



With these aud more qualities to recommend them, it 

 yet remains for horticultural enterprise to develop a 

 spineless and bristleless variety that will not only be of 

 value for forage but will prodtioe lar«e crops of fruits 

 as attractive to the educawd pilai, a- i.. the savage. 

 Prom the experience gaiind . . i- a garden of 



nearly 70 species and vari.; '■ -.comprising 



about 300 plants, and watrinn, tint j r^wth and be- 

 havior for several years, tin- writer la Inves that they 

 offer great possibilities in the way of improvement in 

 the hands of a careful plant-breeder. j. Tj<f_ ToujtEY. 



Hardy Opuntias satisfy a rather general desire for 

 something unique or grotesque, while at the same time 

 they possess enough ornamental value to recommend 

 them to everyone, and especially to those lovers of cac- 

 taceous and succulent plants whose space indoors is 



OPUNTIA 1145 



limited. Being natives of the western plains and fool- 

 hills of the mountains, they can scarcely suffer from 

 long-continued drought, and the sunny side of the 

 rockery will suit them exactly, as it will allow all sur- 

 plus moisture to drain oil', and no artificial watering 

 will be necessary. Mr. William Falconer, who has used 



lari: laniirn, at Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, Pa., 



wriii - 1- I. :i . "Iu certain localities, as on bleak, 



exj I (M lid about rocky knolls, Opuntias and 



I "■ ' ' '-an be used unsparingly with per- 



f' '^ - 1' ' ' - . ■ M' 111-" sa\ s, "AUhave been planted out- 



■d d ■-. r.niaininj 1 1 1 1 n n ancted summer and winter, 



and all liaM' l"rii lull, illy hardy." They have suc- 



I'd .lis,, ai K, w i.aj.l.ns. iu the Very humid climate 



,,l I n-land, without protection. Their requirements 



• 1 ill I 1,|, as follows; a porous, well-drained soil, a 

 -iiiiiiv , \{>osure, and a season long enough in which to 

 ri[ • 1! til, fruit and annual growth; these conditions 



1" in- iiplied with.they will endure almost any degree 



of 11, Id I., I" , \porienced even in the most northern 

 pi'iii 11- ,.f ill, I S. Their altitude-limit in Colorado 

 indiiai, - iliiii Ml, \ will succeed as far north as Indian 

 corn , an l„ naiinn.l. The following kinds have been 

 us.,1 -II, , .sstully, as above indicated: O. arenaria, 

 Willi -niali. round to oblong, very spiny joints, the 

 spin, s V arying much in color from gray and straw color 

 t,i piM |,lish brown. O. nrtwrr.fcpjis, tlie Tree or Cande- 

 laliiniii I ai'n-, th,- tallf«t of this list, is of cylindrical 

 Inaii. ' ' I J -, .... ti, ,, ,1 1, n,.i., ),r pin-pp. tiowers and yellow 

 fill II I' ' , r\ I a la-'n, orbicular joints, 



fin 1 .1 ' , ' " iili spiues, fruit purple. 



", /. . I, -, iiii,l, - ii_ ./,-, ii.iria, but is smaller. O. 



Ill, x,ur i.ilia i^icludes a multitude of forms, all of which 

 am \ , 1 y hardy. O. pJiceacantha, var. major, is one of 

 tin- ni,i-t striking sorts, with immense, glaucous joints, 

 dark piirjile spines, yellow flowers, and purple fruit. 

 ('. /■'•I'i';i„tliii i- ,,n,. ,.( till- ni,,st variable, as well as one 

 ot ilii- nii'st sln,\\\, Tlir spin,.- \ ary from ivory white 

 t., purpln and lir,.wii. and tr,,ln sln.rt and StOUt to long 

 and sli-mler. -Xiarly all tin- ( ipnntias have very showy 

 tli'wcrs. u.suall)- in various sliades of yellow and orange. 

 b. M. Andrews. 

 In the following synopsis it has not been possible in 

 all instances to group the species so as to show re- 

 lationships. A purely artificial key has not been at- 

 tf'inptrd. as tlic spi-rins at best are separated by a great 

 variitN of iharai tc r-. It will be seen that the list runs 

 p. CI -p..,-i..s, ,,r pra,.ti.-..dly half of all the known kinds. 

 It will l„. n,. !,.,!. a I-,., iliai a lart'o part of file species in 



til.. ■:■,.,. 111. 'I.. II M.-,;.. I ..ill. r -. mil, rn regions. 



Til.. I . 1 :. , , 1, .. :. .. I n. .1 ■ .,1. must be 



soii^i 1 1 ..... 1 ■-. .| . . , r..i . I . I . . . ...I ! 11 ipuntias 



iiltur 



brachyarthra, 

 Brasiliensis, 1 

 Camanehic.n. ' 

 candelabrifor 



