THE CACTUS PEAR 13 



Some of the seedlings begin to bear fruit the 

 second year, but they do not come into full 

 bearing — so that the fruit may be accurately 

 appraised — until the third or fourth year. 

 Then the fruit may be produced so abun- 

 dantly as to check the growth of the plant. 

 When the cactus has come to mature age, it 

 puts forth such an abundance of fruit as some- 

 times almost to hide the slabs from which 

 the fruit grows. Half a hundred individual 

 fruits may grow on the edges or surface of a 

 single slab. 



Looking across a field of cactus in full fruit, 

 one sees a mass of fruit that almost hides the 

 plants. 



It has been found that eighteen thousand 

 pounds of fruit per acre is a common crop on the 

 poorest soil. The possibilities of production 

 on good soil and with fully matured plants of 

 the perfected varieties are probably greater 

 than those of any other fruit-producing plant 

 whatever. 



The product of a single acre may amount 

 to the astounding quantity of twenty-five to 

 thirty tons. 



Whoever has seen a field of my giant cactus 

 plants in full fruit will not be disposed to chal- 

 lenge the facts. 



