LUTHER BURBANK 



have not been developed. But sooner or later 

 someone will find use for this by-product of the 

 cactus, for the dressing on a large scale of fabrics, 

 or any one of the hundred purposes to which mu- 

 cilaginous substances are put. I myself have made 

 tentative experiments to test the qualities of the 

 mucilage, but these have not been carried far 

 enough to produce conclusive results. 



The Opuntias have possibilities of a quite dif- 

 ferent character, connected not with their juices 

 or pulp, but with the woody fiber which makes a 

 network in the older leaves, and which comes to 

 form the main substances of the central stalk. 



It has been found that this woody network, 

 when the pulp is removed, makes a clean white 

 fiber that is in the most beautiful condition for 

 paper making. The older stems and roots furnish 

 the fiber in considerable quantities, and even the 

 roots are available for the purpose. The amount 

 of paper stock varies much in the different species. 

 The expert estimate of the fiber as a stock for the 

 making of the finest paper, including bank note 

 paper, has been so enthusiastic that it might be 

 well to devote attention to the breeding of some 

 of the spineless Opuntias with an eye to the devel- 

 opment of the fiber, so that this by-product of the 

 plant may become of value as a source of paper 

 stock; also for the making of leather board. 



[252] 



