10 



BULLETIN 208, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It should be stated that this growth was not all from cuttings. 

 About four rows of the old varietal plantings were preserved, and to 

 this extent the crop was from stumps which had previously had a crop 

 taken from them. The plantings here, as in the other cases at San 

 Antonio, are made approximately 2\ feet apart hi 6-foot rows. The 

 varieties grown here are the same as those discussed in previous 

 publications. Opuntia lindheimeri has been the principal species, but 

 there has been a small admixture of O.ferruginispina, 0. sinclairii, 

 and other less important species. 



In April, 1914, another harvesting of a representative area was made 

 by cutting and weighing two 8-foot rows 416 feet long. The yield for 

 the three-year period from the well-established stumps of the previous 

 harvesting in 1910 was at the rate of 28 tons to the acre each year. 

 During the season of 1910 this area was plowed with a turning plow 

 and cultivated with a spike-tooth harrow three times, which, because 

 of the harvesting and burning over of the previous spring, put the 

 ground in 'fairly good condition, especially for the penetration of 

 moisture. All the cultivation given consisted in going over the land 

 two or three times with a spike-tooth harrow in 1911. The increase 

 here over the other harvestings, due, it is believed, to the greater vigor 

 of the old established plants, is striking. The beneficial effect of 

 placing the land between the rows in good tilth, even if it be only once 

 in four years, is also shown without doubt. Attention should be 

 called to the fact that no handwork was done in this field after the 

 planting. 



A summary of the conditions and of the yields of native prickly 

 pear obtained at San Antonio is given in Table III. 



Table III. — Summary of yields of native prickly pear grovmfrom cuttings or old stumps 



at San Antonio, Tex. 



T ime harvested. 



October, 1907 



April and May, 1909. 



April, 1910 



March, 1911 



March, 1913 



April, 1914.. 

 Spring, 1914. 



Character of 

 cultivation. 



None 



Very poor. 



do 



None 



Poor 



do. 



None . . 



Cuttings or 

 stumps. 



Cuttings . 



do... 



do... 



do... 



do... 



Stumps . 

 do.. 



Yield per 

 acre per 

 annum. 



Tons. 

 2.83 



C 1 ) 



14.32 



5.89 



20.685 



28.00 



Species grown. 



Opuntia lindheimeri. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Opuntia lindheimeri 



mostly. 

 Opuntia lindheimeri. 



Do. 



1 Roughage for 1 cow on l£ acres. 



GENERAL CONDITIONS AFFECTING YIELDS. 



As shown by the figures cited, other conditions being equal, the 

 yields of prickly pear at a particular place have generally been in 

 direct proportion to the care given the plantation. The most potent 

 factor after the plants are once thoroughly established is cultivation. 



